Frosted Summers
by Mysterie1985
Summary: [JackxJamie] After the fall of Pitch, Jack continues to see Jamie. Life is great, at first, but as Jack watches Jamie grow up things begin to get more complicated. Jack would do anything for his friend, his first believer, but just how far will he go to help? [WARNING: language, violence, character death][heavily inspired by BonBonPich's Place We Belong (deviant art)]
1. Chapter 1

1 - 1

"Jack!" Jamie ran up to the winter spirit who grinned at his friend.

"Hey kiddo! What's up?"

"I wanted to introduce you to someone!" Jack blinked, Jamie was tugging his hand to get him to follow him to a girl who was slightly younger than himself. She was looking up at Jack bashfully, her blue eyes weren't as bright as Jack's own, her hair was blonde and kept back from her face in a ponytail despite the cool air.

"Jack, I'd like to meet Amber." Jack crouched down so that he was more on her eye level and she gave him a small smile.

"Hi Amber, I'm Jack Frost. Do you want to play?" She nodded eagerly, despite the shy look she was giving him and glanced over at Jamie who smiled at her.

"Do you know how to make a snowball?" He asked.

"I think so." Jack smiled reassuringly to the girl.

"You can be on my team with Jamie, how's that sound?" Amber seemed to brighten instantly and Jack grinned, summoning up snowballs, he blew on one and tossed it at one of the "enemy" players and before long shrieks of laughter ensued in the snowball fight. Jack allowed himself to be hit a couple of times, but for the most part he made snowballs for both teams instead of actually throwing many himself. He loved this, spending time with his best friend, his first believer and his friends. Even Sophie, who was now six, threw snowballs happily alongside her brother. Too soon it was over and the kids, happy and wet from the snowballs, went home. Jack watched as Sophie and Jamie waved from their porch and Jack was left to his own devices. With a happy sigh, he flew off to his lake. He settled in the middle of the frozen pond, watching the ice glitter with the last of the day's light. He sighed a little, knowing that while he may want to once again go play with Jamie tomorrow that he couldn't because he had duties. It was because of Jamie he was a Guardian now, that was why he visited the boy as often as he could; especially during the winter months when he was allowed to use his powers to cool the area. Summer months weren't so bad, but other spirits got mad if he disrupted the seasons by creating snow out of season. Didn't mean he didn't still do it, just that he kept it in Jamie's room. Keeping the boy cooler in the hot months and sometimes his friends would drop by to cool off and talk with Jack. Now though, with the night closing in, he was alone with his thoughts. Life as a Guardian was better than he'd thought, though he didn't see others often, they were usually too busy with their tasks but they would always say hello now whenever they saw him. Baby Tooth always stopped to chatter for him a little while even if it meant being a little late in delivering a tooth back to the Tooth Palace; since he'd traded his staff for her life in the Antarctica she had developed a bond with him and often sought him out during the rare occasions Jack had found himself at the pole when Tooth was there.

With the new morning, Jack had finished spreading his snow as he had thought to get a head start to perhaps have more time with Jamie. He was drifting along the sidewalk towards the school when he saw a group of kids chasing Jamie, three boys it looked like. He thought at first they were playing a game until he heard one call out.

"You can't get away Bennett!" Jack's eyes narrowed at the underlying maliciousness in the other kid's tone. These boys weren't Jamie's friends. Jamie nearly slipped on some ice, his backpack sent him toppling off balance and its contents began to spill out of the half zipped bag. Jack didn't hesitate to slick the sidewalk in front of the three and the boys yelped as the first slipped and toppled into the two who were behind him. Jack floated down to where Jamie was scrambling to get his things, his eyes lit up when he saw the winter spirit.

"Jack!"

"You're gonna... unh.. pay..." One of the boys said as he rose, but sputtered as a snowball hit him square in the face. The boy roared in anger, but Jack didn't let up. The three boys were pelted with snow until they gave up and scrambled away yelling promises of retribution. Jack frowned after the boys before helping Jamie gather the scattered papers and books.

"Jamie, how long have those boys been bullying you?" He asked with a frown.

"Not long." Jamie replied, smiling his thanks to Jack who floated next to him as he headed back towards his house.

"When did this start?" Jamie shrugged in an answer.

"Somewhere around Easter I think. I'm guessing they and a bunch of others have stopped believing. They haven't been too accepting of those who still do either."

"Have they bullied any of your friends?"

"I don't know. Not that I've seen, they won't bother us if all six of us are together. Not including Sophie. I at least know that she's safe from it." Jack seemed thoughtful as he followed behind his friend, wondering what it was he could do to help. There was no doubt in his mind that he couldn't always be there to save Jamie and he doubted the kid would appreciate it much as he got older. Not that Jack was going to let such a thing happen to his first believer.

"I'm going to talk to North about this. Maybe he can help." Jamie nodded with a smile.

"Are you going now?" Jack nodded with a sigh.

"The sooner we figure this out, the better. I know you wouldn't want Sophie to get caught up in this." Jamie nodded and waved to Jack as he shot off, but he only took off once he saw Jamie was safely in his own yard. He didn't want to think about what would have happened had he not showed up when he had.

1 - 2

Jamie looked up at the sky from his bedroom. Watching sadly as the last traces of snow melted. _I guess he didn't come this year either... and with the last of the snow gone... I promise to be good all year and not ask for anything else, all I ask for... _Jamie sighed as he closed his eyes, pouring his heart into his wish. He was thirteen now, still that didn't stop him from wishing to see his best friend. He'd even wrote North, telling him that he didn't want any gifts this year; knowing that the Guardian would get it even though Christmas was over. He just wanted to see Jack again. He missed his friend. There was always snow, but he hadn't seen Jack since the day that Jack had saved him from some bullies. He was still bullied, but now it was subdued as word had spread about what had happened to the three two years ago who had tried to pick on Jamie outside of school. It was now down to just insults in the halls, having graduated from elementary school, Jamie was only now starting to settle into traveling the halls of middle school from one class to the next as well as his locker. There were no more incidents of children chasing him or threatening him physically, at least not yet. Though since at least four of the six of his little group, the only ones really still believing now, were together in every class there wasn't a bully with the guts to try and take on any of them. Jamie and his friends seemed isolated from the rest of their classmates, but no one really bothered them and they always came up with games on their own. When it came to doing projects, they always did them as a group and the teachers didn't protest only because the group always seemed to do them so well and other students didn't seem too keen in wanting to have too much to do with the group.

"Jack, done already?" Jack looked up from the window sill he was sitting on to see North approach him. He smiled a little, absently tugging on his hood as if it could shield his face more.

"Yep."

"Have you visited Jamie?"

"Of course."

"You didn't let him see you did you?" Jack's response was to look back out the window again, the snow outside falling gently.

"You miss the boy."

"Of course, but you are always telling me to not be seen. Having a favorite child is inappropriate. Plus humans live such short lives..." He leaned back against the window sill frame, as if he was trying to convince himself as much as the other Guardian.

"Kids stop believing in us by the time they're ready to head off to high school and Jamie is only a year from that now." He said with a shrug, turning to his fellow Guardian, if it was affecting him it wasn't clear on his face. He seemed calm, but far from happy.

"I know Jamie is special to you. He still wants to see you, so why not? Is good you keep in mind that they grow up, forget us, and die, but that is not now. You should make most of what time you have. Prepare heart for when time come, but until then, enjoy your friendship." Jack's lips twitched into a soft smile.

"You're right. Next winter I will." North gave him a smile before heading off to give yetis more instructions on toys and catch up on work for next Christmas. Jack watched the other Guardian leave before turning back to the window. As much as he feared that his first believer would stop believing in him, he knew it was inevitable, but as North had said, he still had some time before that happened; however little it was. With lifted spirits, Jack began to ponder what he should do with Jamie when he saw him again as well as what he would do to pass the time away quickly. He knew that it would be a long summer in Burgess for him, but he at least had all that time to plan what he was going to do.

1 - 3

"Hey Bennett! Maybe now you'll stop daydreaming!" A harsh voice rang out, Jamie sat sprawled on the concrete; in the last year the bullies had gotten bolder, he felt the sting of the punch, already he could tell he was going to have a bruise from it. He narrowed his eyes at his tormentors. Only one of the boys was in his class, the other two were older kids who'd been held back a year. They were considered the school delinquents and did whatever they wanted. Jamie scowled, more because he knew that they weren't about to give up and they weren't going to be satisfied with this. He'd seen what happened to others who'd been "visited" by this trio. Jamie had been an easy target, not being caught alone until today. As soon as the boys took a step forward towards him, Jamie steeled himself for more, but there was a softened "thud" as several feet of snow suddenly fell onto the three bullies, nearly burying them completely. Jamie blinked in surprise.

"Cold!" One of the boys cried out, another shuddered before asking aloud.

"Why does it have to be cold all of the sudden?" Jamie, confused, glanced up at a nearby fence. Jack was sitting there with a smile on his face.

"Hey Jamie, long time no see!" Jamie just sort of stared while Jack shifted his attention to the bullies and began pelting them mercilessly with snowballs, they let out some choice curses that Jack didn't think was appropriate for their age.

"Get out of here!" He yelled at the group, despite that he knew they couldn't hear him and continued pelting them until they an off; yelling curses at their unseen assailant. Jack floated down, kneeling next to Jamie.

"Hey, you okay?" His face was filled with concern, he lightly touched Jamie's face, the coldness of his touch stealing away the pain.

"Oh Jamie... I should have come sooner. I'm sorry." Jamie lurched forward, embracing Jack in a hug; startling the young Guardian.

"I've missed you so much." Jamie said, his words muffled against the hoodie. Jack smiled a little. Jack shifted a little to return the hug.

"Me too, kiddo." _More than you will ever know._ After a moment, Jack stood up, releasing the boy.

"Come on, let's get you fixed up. You'll only be numb for a little while." Jamie nodded and soon the two were sitting in Jamie's bedroom, Jack had tended to the bruise with some gauze and tape from a first aide kit that Jamie had gotten.

"Those three were pretty nasty, I know some kids are like that, but do you get bullied on a regular basis?" Jack asked, he felt guilty that he hadn't been there earlier to stop the bullies as he had the first time that there had been such an issue. Jamie shook his head.

"Of course not. It's just that I was alone. They don't mess with any of us if we're together or Cupcake would beat the crap out of them. If growing up means stop believing than I don't ever want to grow up." Jack gave him a rueful smile as he messed up the boy's hair affectionately.

"It doesn't mean you should get hurt trying to convince non-believers. I've got so many believers thanks to you. Word about Jack Frost has gotten around the world pretty fast with today's technology."

"I've you to thank as well." Jack tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Oh?" Jamie gave him a look that made Jack a little nervous that the boy knew something, and he was right.

"For saving me all those times. Don't play dumb, I know it was you." Jack stared, a little wide-eyed and not sure what to expect. The kid was a lot sharper than he'd thought, he'd sworn he'd been discreet... apparently not discreet enough.

"You kept me from falling into a half frozen lake last year and before that, I was seperated from my classmates on a trip through the local woods and you led me, Claude and Caleb out of them and back to the group." _Oh crap... _Jack thought.

"Eh... don't mention it." He said, trying to ease the mood as he saw the intense look in the young teen's eyes, but his friend wasn't having any of it.

"If you were always there, watching over me, why didn't you show yourself?!" Jack felt floored by the guilt that washed over him at the anger he saw in the boy's eyes. Jamie had him there, oh he had wanted to... so many times... but...

"Well... I got other things to attend to. Being a Guardian and all." The excuse sounded hollow, even to him. He felt relieved though that the anger seemed to subside in his friend, that was until he saw the look that came into the boy's eyes next. It was something like shocked hurt, it twisted at Jack's heart even as the boy spoke.

"You're right. I'm not the only kid in the world. I'm sorry Jack... that was... self-centered of me."

"Hey now, don't make that face. You're not selfish, Jamie and I'm here now aren't I?" Jamie nodded slightly.

"Tell you what, how about I take you for a ride to compensate for lost time?" Jamie nodded a little, seeming to perk up. Jack took his hand and Jamie stepped out of the window with him, he trusted Jack without hesitation. Jack swung his staff around so that Jamie stepped onto it when he stepped out of the window.

"Have a seat." He said with a grin and Jamie sat down.

"Hang on." The ground shot up beneath them and Jack headed out over to where his lake was, hovering there as the last of the sun's rays began to disappear over the horizon. He shifted to set next to Jamie as he pointed the staff so that they could see Burgess below as well as the lights of cities beyond. As night fell, the city below began to light up. Jamie watched with wide eyes as the darkening landscape was slowly littered with lights of the city.

"Whoa ho! This is amazing! I can even see my house from here!" Jack watched his friend in silence, he'd seen this many times over his 300 years and it was an experience he'd never shared with anyone before, but he was glad he'd shared it with Jamie. When Jamie shifted a little, Jack held out his free hand.

"Easy there kiddo, you'll fall." Jamie laughed a little.

"I know you won't let me." The confidence in the boy's voice warmed Jack's heart. When Jamie laid his head against Jack after a long while, staring out at the lights, Jack decided he should probably get his friend home before he became too tired. Once back in Jamie's bedroom, the boy turned to him with a smile that reminded Jack of the first time he'd spoken to the boy four years ago.

"Thanks Jack, I had so much fun!" He changed into his pajamas quickly and then climbed into the bed, as he was settling in, sticking his feet under the covers, he looked at Jack who stood next to the bed.

"Jack... do you think you could come back again, soon?"

"Well..." He hesitated to make the promise, not sure if he should.

"Please?" Jack sighed inwardly, he couldn't say no.

"Alright." It was worth it to see the smile on the boy's face as he snuggled beneath his covers. Jack flicked off the bedroom light, watching as Jamie snuggled further under the covers before drifting off to sleep. He watched the boy for a moment, a small smile on his face. It was hard to think that four years ago he'd been in this room with Tooth, unseen, no friends except the Guardians who were struggling against Pitch just to survive so they could protect the children from the Boogeyman. Pitch had been silent since that time, but that didn't mean the fight with him was over; as the shade had so aptly put, there would always be fear. As Jack turned to leave a drawing on the wall caught his eye, he moved over to it and couldn't help but smile a little. After that fateful Easter, Jamie had added Jack to the original drawing of him flying on his sled. It made Jack feel warm inside to find that it was still there.


	2. Chapter 2

2 - 1

Shrieks of laughter filled the air as Jack dodged a snowball thrown at him and launched one of his own. Jamie ducked, laughing along with Cupcake, Monty, Caleb, Claude and Pippa. Jack had turned a friday into a snow day, accidentally this time rather than on purpose, but it had turned out for the best. Sophie was building a snow bunny a few feet away, giggling as she used snowballs that nearly missed her and her snowman as part of her creation. The snowball fight was called to a halt though as parents called for their children to come eat lunch.

"That was fun! Let's do it again some time!" Pippa called.

"Yeah!" The twins, Caleb and Claude agreed. Jack waved to them as they departed.

"You know, I'm surprised that none of you thought meeting us was just a dream." Jack said out of the blue, referring to that night four years ago. It wasn't entirely random in that it still amazed him that the six children still believed in him at their age.

"Come on, a dream shared by six people? As if. Hey Jack, next Saturday is my birthday, my mom is throwing a party and I'd like you to join us." Jack looked confused.

"Birthday?" He had never talked to Jamie about such things.

"I thought it'd be nice." Jack nearly sighed.

"Sorry kiddo, but North has me running a bunch of snow days that day."

"Oh." _Crap... he's making that face again... I really need to do something about that schedule North keeps shoving at me._

"I can drop by later though."

"Okay!" Jamie seemed to brighten at the idea.

"What about yours Jack?" The question caught him off guard. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd celebrated his birthday let alone when it was.

"Um... well, it's been a really long time. I think it's in December." _I don't really remember all that much of my life as a human... I do remember there being snow on the ground at the time... _Jack sighed inwardly, regaining his memories had meant that only memories that were important to him as a kid had been returned. Mostly involving great pranks he'd pulled, fun he'd had, one birthday in which he'd been really young, like around ten when his father had presented him with the staff he never let out of his sight... and of course his saving his sister... He couldn't remember her name though, or when his father had died, or if maybe he'd seen his sister after becoming Jack Frost... It just... wasn't there and it was the little things like that that made him feel a little sad every now and then that things had turned out the way they had. Not that he regretted it, but he'd never know if his sister had grown up happy, if she'd married, had kids of her own... He shook away the thoughts, Jamie was what was important to him now.

"Cool! Maybe next time we could hold a get-together party and celebrate it!"

"Uh sure." _Aww geez... getting everyone together is going to be a pain... kids really are hooked on birthdays though... I hope I can convince 'em to at least drop by..._

"Jamie! Are you coming honey?" Jamie turned as his mom called out to him.

"Be there in a minute!" When she turned he turned back to Jack.

"Guess I'd better go."

"Alright, see you later." He watched as Jamie trotted off and disappeared inside of the house before he took off for the North Pole. He needed something for Jamie if he was going to arrive on his birthday and he knew just who to ask to help. He also needed to see if North could spare a moment to drop by for the boy's birthday too.

"A Christmas present?" North seemed baffled.

"Yeah, well the last three years you've asked me if I wanted anything. I was wondering if it was okay if I could ask for one now." North laughed.

"Of course Jack! What is you want?" Jack smiled, he knew he could count on his friend to help him out and he began to explain what he had in mind.

Jack saw that Jamie's light was still on, he hoped that the boy was still awake. It was kind of late, but it wasn't a weekday so that meant the boy didn't have school. He crouched on the edge of the open window.

"Hope I'm not too late." He said and Jamie looked up from a book he'd gotten, a grin crossing his face.

"Jack!" His voice was louder than he meant it to be and a guilty look crossed his face.

"Opps... I shouldn't be too loud."

"This isn't too late then?" Jamie shook his head with a smile.

"Nah, mom doesn't check up on me anymore." Jack wasn't sure if he felt relieved about that or not.

"I got something for you." Jack blinked as Jamie produced a box and opened it, revealing a white frosted chocolate cake with blue lettering that read: Happy Birthday Jack Frost on the middle, little blue snowflakes of varying sizes decorated it. Jack was stunned, it had been 304 years since anyone had gotten him a birthday cake, or anything at all really. Not that North hadn't tried during Christmas, but Jack really hadn't wanted anything and had politely declined the offer the last three years. He'd gotten what he'd wanted most already, a family and friends.

"You're the best Jamie." Jamie seemed to beam and the boy got out a couple of plates and forks as well as a knife from a drawer. Jack watched with a smile as Jamie cut up the cake and they both shared a piece while sitting on the bed. Would this kid ever cease to amaze or surprise him?

"That was great Jamie, thanks." Jack said once he'd eaten the slice. Being immortal he didn't actually need to eat, but that didn't mean he couldn't. Heck, he'd spent one of his 300 years trying all sorts of sweets from various places out of sheer boredom. He'd discovered he didn't like the really super sweet stuff, or the bitter candy that cost a great deal, he didn't have what humans would call a "refined taste" and was perfectly content with homemade chocolate chip cookies than some homemade "delicacy" like truffles.

"I've got a gift for you too." Jack said with a smile when he set his plate on the nightstand next to Jamie's empty plate. Only once Jamie was bundled up upon his instructions did Jack withdraw a snowglobe from his pocket and shook it, murmuring their destination into it before tossing it near the wall; the globe shattered into the magic portal that would take them. When they arrived, the speechless wonder on the boy's face was more than enough for Jack. Jack followed the boy as he seemed to slowly wonder about the place in a daze, Jack hovering behind.

"I thought the elves made the toys." He said, watching a yeti paint a toy train.

"I thought so too at first." Jack replied with a chuckle, reminded of his own curiosity at that. Fortunately there were no elves nearby attempting to create a "toy" for children which Jack was sort of grateful for. He knew the elves weren't entirely intelligent, but no need for the boy to see that sort of thing.

As they toured the place, they came upon a familiar face... well at least one Jack knew all too well.

"Hey Phil." The yeti garbled something that neither of them understood even as he beamed down at Jamie, which Jack took to be a good thing.

"You're the one who signed my book!" He seemed positively over the moon. The boy was drinking in all the sights around him, Jack smiled happily, watching his friend seem to have the time of his life in place few humans had ever seen.

"Hey Jack, let's go see-" He was cut off when, not watching where he was going, he ran into someone.

"Sorry." He said as he stumbled back only to be greeted with a chuckle from the jolly Guardian he'd been just talking about.

"Enjoying self?" North asked and Jamie nodded vigorously.

"You bet! I wanted to see you too." Jack watched the two from a distance.

"I wanted to thank you, for answering my wish." He said quietly.

"Oh, well I didn't do much. He wanted to see you so much... so..."

"So he doesn't know? Oh well, let's keep it a secret." North nodded a little in agreement.

"Since you're here, why not ask for a pre-" North began, but Jamie shook his head.

"No, I appreciate the offer, but my wish for Christmas is going to be the same every year now and this year I already got it." He glanced towards Jack briefly but the frost spirit only smiled, clueless as to what the boy meant.

"I would like to keep it this way."

"Alright." North wasn't sure it was a good idea, but he also knew that the boy had taken a liking to Jack that he did not have in regards to the other Guardians. He'd seen it in the boy's eyes and heard it in his wish, so there was no harm in granting it.

2 - 2

"I need go. Have lots of work to do. When you through you can take Jamie to office for coco and cookies." North said before waving goodbye to the two and heading off.

"What were you talking about Jamie?" Jack asked.

"Oh, it's nothing really." Jamie replied with a smile. North glanced back at the two thoughtfully.

_Has been long time since I see Jack smile like that... They closer than I could have thought. _He stopped a moment to watch the two boys walk off, Jack was grinning and talking to Jamie about his first look at the workshop, the boy ecstatically listening and taking in the sights at the same time as they walked off. _I hope I make right decision... but with one asking to see the other and for the other to be asking for the other... is best for now. _

"This is the best birthday present ever!" Jamie said happily as he sipped at his hot coco when they had reached North's workshop after finishing up the tour.

"Of course, it's Santa's place after all." Jack said with a smile.

"It's not only that though." Jack looked over at Jamie, puzzled, the boy went on.

"It's because it was a gift from you."

"You remember our promise, right?" Jack asked, he was sure that Jamie was trying to not be too sentimental about the gift, but he'd also seen the joy and wonder in the boy's eyes too. He figured that was just Jamie's way of saying thank you rather than it meaning something more so he shrugged it away. There wasn't any way it could be anything more. He tried to enjoy the moment, to not think about how few of these moments he had left with his first believer.

"Of course. I won't tell anyone about this. It's just between you and me. Pinky swear?" Jack just stared at him a little dumbfounded.

"Pinky what?" Jamie tried not to laugh at the look on his friend's face as he began to explain.

Jack soared through the sky, bringing another snow day to Burgess, it was a weekday so Jamie had school. He decided it had been long enough since he'd seen him and was overdue. He hadn't really been here with the first day of winter... or the first snow really as he'd been pressed to spread snow... darn North and his schedule! He pushed that thought aside as he swooped in close though he saw four... no five figures. A smaller form was huddled next to Jamie and three were standing opposite of him.

"Just leave us alone!" Jamie yelled at the three, Jack frowned. Weren't those three... ? His eye widened as he saw one of the three slam his fist into Jamie's cheek as a response, anger flared in Jack like a vicious animal and he narrowed his eyes.

"Jamie!" Sophie cried in alarm.

"I don't know what you pulled last time but-." The bully began only to be cut off when something slammed into him, hard. He jerked back, the others crying out as more balls pelted him; snowball sized hail. No one hurt Jamie. _No one._

"Jack?!" Jamie spun around to see the winter spirit floating behind him, Jamie had never seen Jack angry but the look on the spirit's face now told him that he was livid as he pelted the would-be-tormentors with hail.

"J-Jack that's enough!" Jamie cried, realizing that this was quickly getting out of control as the bullies cried out in pain. Jack's fury was too much though, and he didn't hear the boy.

"Jack stop! You'll kill them!" Jamie yelled, letting go of his sister to tackle the winter spirit to the ground, the bullies groaned in pain and scrambled away while they still had the chance; not wanting anything more to do with whatever it was that had been pelting them.

"That's the last time we mess with Jamie Bennett." One of the boys said as they ran off. Jamie picked himself up off Jack who sat up. He'd let the last of the hail disappear from his fingers.

"I'm sorry Jamie... I guess I got carried away." He said, his anger gone in a flash as he regarded his young charge. He was just glad that he had arrived when he did, but he also realized that he had indeed gotten carried away. When had he become so protective of the boy that he couldn't control his own temper?

"Here, let me -" He reached out to touch Jamie's cheek but the boy moved back.

"It's fine. Besides, Sophie is here too. Let's just go." Jack nodded, looking at Sophie who was staring at him wide-eyed. Jack couldn't meet her gaze for long. He had _never_ done anything like that before. Never had a reason to. Oh he'd hurt mortals before in the past, but never because he was protecting anyone; he pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to remember that time in his life, a time he regretted. He hoped that he hadn't scared Sophie, but she seemed to just be grateful that he was there to sent the bullies scattering as she eventually began smiling at him before they reached the house. Jack followed the two to their home, making sure that no one else decided to pick on the Bennett kids. He might have gotten carried away, but seeing what that one had dared to do to Jamie had lit a fire of fury in him that he didn't know he had. Jack had once had fits in the past, calling upon hail and storms to work out his frustration at not being seen, but never had he used it forcefully against a specific human; not on purpose anyway. Still, he couldn't help the protective feeling he felt towards Jamie. The boy who was his first believer, his most loyal too. Jack watched as Jamie tucked in Sophie who had been tuckered out by the day's events.

"Sometimes I'm jealous of her being able to let go so easily." His sister had too good of a heart really, too forgiving of a nature and while it meant most people liked her, it also meant she got into trouble on occasions as, like her brother, she stoutly believed in the Guardians. He watched as Jamie got out a medical supply kit from the bathroom.

"Do you want me to make it cold?" He asked.

"No, it's fine." Jack was silent a moment as he watched Jamie use the mirror to clean up the blood that had run from his nose and patch himself up.

"Am I... meddling too much?" Jack asked hesitantly after a moment, Jamie turned to him, surprise on his face.

"You? Meddling?! No way!" Jack thought he should feel better, but he didn't exactly. He still felt that he was at odds with what had happened. Sure he had helped Jamie, but still... he had a feeling that Jamie wasn't too happy with him and that was tearing at him.

"I appreciate your help, but... I'm also frustrated that I need it so much." He glanced away, but Jack noticed how sad he seemed as he went on. Something was bugging his friend, he hoped that he could help; he couldn't stand seeing him look the way he was now.

"I can't even defend my own sister." He winced slightly in pain. Jack wondered at that, at the red tint that seemed to be creeping along the boy's face.

"So that's why I never hear your call. Well, I want to help you, besides it's my job." He moved to place his hand on Jamie's cheek but again the boy stopped him, grabbing his wrist.

"It still hurts, doesn't it?"

"I told you I'm fine." Jamie replied, to his shock, Jack leaned in and placed his lips gently over the bandage in a chaste kiss. Jamie jolted instantly his eyes going wide as he backed away from the winter spirit.

"So you won't have to feel the pain, it's better... right?" Jack asked as the boy just stared at him wide-eyed. _Did he just... seriously because of that?_ Jamie's face was flushed red. Jack just smiled and ruffled his hair like he had done so many times before.

"I don't see why you should be embarrassed. You've never cried, never run, and you protected your sister." Jack thought on it a moment.

"I know your mom is against martial arts... but how about I train you?" Jamie's eyes brightened considerably.

"Really?! You'd do that for me?"

"Yup. I can teach you some basics, but you'll have to work a lot on your own. So you can protect your sister." Jamie's expression became unreadable for a moment then serious as he took Jack's hand from his head into his own.

"It's not just my sister I want to protect." Jack smiled.

"I know, your friends too right?"

"It's not just my friends, the one I want to protect most..." He trailed off, looking at Jack. Who just returned his look with a slightly puzzled expression.

"It's nothing. When do we start?"

2 - 3

"I saw your fight with Pitch, when did you learn to fight like that?" Jamie asked as they stood outside in his yard.

"Okay, I want you to kick and don't hold back." As Jamie did as he instructed, aiming for the arm that Jack held close to his body as a target, he answered his question.

"Well, I trained. When I was human I lived with only my mother and my sister. I had to be able to look out for them both. I picked up a few things along the way too after I became Jack Frost, I mean I had a lot of time on my hands before I became a Guardian." Jamie blinked, shocked.

"You were human?! Then how did you..?"

"That's a long story." _Great... why did I bring this up? _Jack wondered, not really wanting to go into his past at the moment, or at all if he could help it. His past, though he was glad he had his memories of it, was sketchy really with so few real memories and it was still a little painful too at times. Not because he remembered it or anything, but because he longed for a chance at the life that had been taken from him when the ice had fallen beneath him. Even so, he knew he wouldn't trade his time with Jamie for that; he wouldn't undo what had happened even if he longed for a normal life, a chance to... He snapped his thoughts from that and back to the present. Not a good time for those thoughts. He needed to focus on Jamie.

"That was a good kick, you need to work on your balance though." Jamie nodded as Jack moved to shift Jamie like a puppet to demonstrate the correct balance for a kick. Jamie was wobbly, but Jack helped him keep his balance to help his body learn instinctively what it would need to know so that the boy could fight without thinking too much about it.

"Jack... it's just me and my mother and Sophie..." Jack nodded, then something else occurred to the boy.

"Before I saw you, how long were you watching me?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, I just have this sense of familiarity and you seem to know a lot about me. When I first saw you and the fight with Pitch... that was all in one night." Jack smiled at that, yup, the boy was too sharp for his own good.

"Well, you just sort of stood out from all the other children I hung out with. You are always reading about myths and legends, and your family can't afford much so you make things. You made such good things for your sister too. Of all the kids I've seen, I've liked watching you the most. Your sense is right. I have been around a while even before you could see me." Jamie seemed to consider this a moment before looking back up at Jack.

"What about you? What's your story?"

"Nothing worth telling really." He couldn't help feel his heart warm that Jamie would ask. At the same time, he began to wonder why it was the boy would think to ask in the first place.

"Not true! I'm sure it's interesting! I want to hear about it!" Jack was taken aback by the boy's insistence, but he didn't reply.

"Come on Jack, I want to know about you!" Jack considered it a moment, realizing there was no way he could get around not telling the boy at some point. Jack knew that the boy looked up to him, he was like the boy's older brother. That's when an idea occurred to him.

"Okay, how about this. When you show signs of improvement in training I'll tell you things each time you progress. Good motivation eh?" Jamie nodded.

"For one, I've been living 300 years now."

"How did you become Jack Frost?"

"If you want to know you'll have to train." Jack replied easily.

Time seemed to fly then as Jack came by every day to talk to Jamie, Jamie insisted that every day that he came that they train and so they did, if only because Jack could see the determination in the boy's eyes. He wasn't sure though if that determination was aimed towards learning how to fight or to learn more about Jack.

"You're doing well Jamie, just keep training." Jack said as they sat next to each other on the ground in front of his lake; they'd been coming here so Jamie's mother wouldn't know what Jamie did in his free time. The last bit of snow melting before them, but of course Jack kept his pond froze over, it was his home after all. Scientists had been baffled at the lake and throughout the years there had been plenty who had tested everything of the area to try and figure out why it always stayed the way it was. Many had given up but there was always one every decade or so who would come and visit and try and figure everything out. The residents of Burgess had long since just accepted the fact that particular pond would never really thaw out properly. Oh sometimes parts of it did, if Jack was away for too long or there was a particularly hot day in summer time, but other than that it never did and it had been a popular place to ice skate for some gutsy teens in the past. Nowadays though the only one who ever came to his lake was Jamie and his friends, but they didn't have much interest in skating; they were into building snow forts and having snowball fights.

"You'll come visit me next winter, won't you?"

"Honestly kiddo, donno if I can due to work." _I'm surprised I haven't been beaten over the head by North with the rule book considering all the rules I've broken lately..._ Jamie was silent a moment before he looked at Jack. The look in the boy's eyes was... well, he had no idea what it was he saw.

"Jack, the sun and moon don't disappear for years. You don't have to take me all over the world, or give me birthday gifts, or even train me anymore. I know you'll come anyway, but please show yourself to me. Not like I'm going to ever stop believing, I just want to see you again." Jack wasn't sure what to make of all this, but after a moment's silence he took one of Jamie's hands.

"Okay, if you promise me one thing."

"What?"

"That you won't go out of your way to get hurt trying to make non-believers believe." Jamie seemed to think on that a moment.

"Okay, I think I can do that." He smiled, as much as he wanted to help Jack gain believers, he knew that he wasn't likely to convince his peers and he did so ever want to continue to see Jack.

"Good. Now let's see where you are at in your training."

"Okay!" The two boys stood up and Jack summoned some snowballs to test Jamie's reflexes as well as his guard. The boy had indeed improved. After they were done they'd gone to Jamie's room.

"I should probably get going before I get yelled at." Jack said, though he really didn't want to leave.

"Alright... oh, Jack, one last thing!" Jamie said as Jack was stepping through the window, he turned to look at Jamie.

"I'd like you to think that my house, well... at least my room, is yours too okay? You can come by any time." Jack smiled at that. The boy really did have a kind heart and Jack felt himself lucky to have such a believer as his friend.

"Got it, kiddo. See you next time!" With that he took to the air, leaving Jamie to watch him disappear into the distance.

Jack landed lightly in the workshop only to find North waiting for him, arms crossed. With the way he had them crossed it looked to spell out 'naughty ice' and Jack wondered if he was doing that on purpose or if it was just some odd coincidence. Jack had little doubt that North knew everything, it was kind of his job to. Jack also knew what this was about too.

"I know... I didn't do the right thing, that's why I taught Jamie to defend himself." North let out a sigh.

"Jack, kids bleed. You are Guardian..." North rubbed the bridge of his nose, at least the boys hadn't been hurt too bad, but still this was not what it meant to be a Guardian and he needed Jack to understand that.

"But they hurt Jamie first! For believing in us!" The words burst out as anger came rushing back to Jack swiftly.

"That is one reason children forget us. You should know already, Jack." He did know, but hearing it gave him a jolt that was anything but pleasant. Jack really didn't want to have this talk with North, he was certain that the other Guardian didn't understand. Jamie wasn't just any kid; he'd been the whole reason the Guardians hadn't lost to Pitch when even Jack's newfound strength had failed to take down the Boogeyman. Jamie was... special.

"Is part of life, Jack. They forget so they blend. Old lights go out, new ones come in." He hoped Jack would understand this. It was the way things had always been and had to be, it was for the best even if Jack didn't see it now... with time he would.

"Jamie isn't just any kid, North."

"Is just way world works. Do you want me go through guide again?" Jack nearly cringed, that thing had been long enough the first time.

"No thanks. I'm sorry that I yelled."

"Is okay. You visit him again, yeah?" Jack nodded.

"I made a promise, I'm not going to break it."

"I won't stop you, but remember what I say." Jack nodded a little, he wasn't one for really sticking to all the strict rules that governed the Guardians, but he wasn't exactly out to break them all on purpose either. Being a Guardian wasn't all fun and games really, even if he didn't have strict deadlines like the others, there were still some rules he wasn't supposed to break and things he wasn't supposed to do. Still, when it came to Jamie, Jack felt no regret about what he'd done, even if there were consequences...


	3. Chapter 3

3 - 1

"Give it back!" A young girl shouted, on the verge of tears.

"Why don't you make me?" The older boy sneered.

"Picking on little girls now? Don't you have something better to do?" The boy spun around, narrowing his eyes at Jamie.

"Get lost brat." He sneered, turning back to the young girl and her older sister. Jamie frowned.

"No. Give it back."

"Make me."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"You littl-" The boy swung at Jamie, but he missed as Jamie ducked out of the way and slammed his fist into the boy's gut, causing the older boy to double over from the pain and drop the doll even as Jame socked him in the jaw, knocking him flat on his back. Jamie calmly picked up the doll, brushing snow off of it before turning to the young girl. She beamed up at him, reminding him of his little sister.

"Thank you so much! Hey, can I take you out for some coffee or something? Just as thanks." The elder girl asked with a smile.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Jack grinned from his perch on the fence nearby.

"Looking pretty cool there kiddo." Jame spun around, his face lighting up instantly.

"Jack!" The younger of the girls waved a little shyly at Jack who smiled at her in return, but the elder girl didn't see the winter spirit and seemed confused.

"Um... maybe some hot chocolate?" The girl asked, obviously not certain about this but still wanting to thank him some how.

"Ah, go ahead and talk to them first Jamie." Jack said, but the boy turned from the girls, after a shake of his head, to talk to him.

"But I want to talk to you." He glanced over at the girls who were still standing there.

"Sorry, I have to go." The two girls headed off, waving at Jamie.

"Such a nice boy." The younger of the two said.

"Yeah... too bad he talks to himself." The older replied, making Jack feel a little guilty.

"Sorry about that, bad timing on my part. You could have gone out with that girl." Jamie seemed a little confused at that.

"What are you saying? I wasn't thinking about that. I'm just glad to see you."

"You've gotten better, and taller." It was all Jack could think to say in response. He'd missed his friend those months he'd had to be away. He was a Guardian, he had work and that couldn't be helped not to mention he could only stand summer's heat for a limited time, but he still missed his friend. The Summer spirit also tended to be a bit territorial too.

"My mom finally approved of me learning to defend myself; I want to know all about you."

"My story?" Jack thought on this a moment, there was a lot to tell; particularly since Jamie had improved so much. The two went to sit by his lake and he began telling Jamie what he remembered once they had sat down on a log. He described to the boy how he had saved his sister before becoming Jack Frost after telling him what little he remembered about his life; he'd been a prankster even as a human, he was then much as he was now except for how much he knew of the world and his feelings of loneliness. His story as Jack Frost began with a girl who always visited his lake, she always seemed so sad when she did too, and she never really played with any of the other children despite that they often tried to get her to play. She cried a lot, and Jack had tried to comfort her, but it was to no avail until he had made her a snowflake and it had landed on her nose. He'd seen the magic in that, his magic, how she'd smiled for the first time since he'd seen her and she'd then gotten up and went to play with the other children nearby who were making a snowman. That had been how Jack had discovered his ability to make children happy with the power of snow that he'd been given.

"Jamie? Wha-?!" The boy had tears streaming down his face, Jack couldn't think of anything he'd said to upset his friend, so why was he crying?

"How can you just talk about your own death like that? As if it was okay?"

"Well, maybe because I'm happy my death saved my sister's life. Come on now, don't be like that. I told you my story as I promised and honestly after all this time it doesn't hurt me. Can't you be happy about that?" Jamie rubbed the tears from his eyes.

"You're right... and it's probably been so long you don't want people feeling sorry for you." Jack started. His friend cared that much? He had spent 300 years alone, unseen and unable to touch anyone, to just hold their hand... until Jamie. He felt even more startled when Jamie turned and hugged him fiercely.

"Hey kiddo... I didn't tell you all that to make you cry." Jack honestly hadn't told anyone his story, not even his fellow Guardians. The only one who likely knew anything of his past was Tooth, but none of the others had shown any interest in hearing about Jack's past. Jamie was the exception though, he genuinely wanted to know more about Jack and it was possibly because of that, and that this was Jamie after all, was why he had told the boy his story.

"I know. I'm glad you told me. It's just... it must have been so hard, not having anyone..." Jamie trailed off as Jack hugged him back, resting his head on the boy's shoulder.

"It was, but that's over now. Thanks to you. So can you stop crying about it?" Jamie pulled back, a small smile on his face as he brushed away the last of his tears. It still hurt, he realized, thinking about Jack being alone like that. Having to go through so long without a single friend. Jack smiled happily at seeing him trying, at least.

"There you go." He ruffled the boy's hair as Jamie released him then sneezed.

"Guess we'd better get you inside before you catch a cold." Jamie seemed to chuckle at the possibility, but when Jack stood up he did too and the two headed to Jamie's house.

"So how have the other's been?" Jamie asked as they walked.

"Busy as usual. I see Baby Tooth every now and then."

"She still following you around?"

"Nah, she has her work to keep her busy, but she never fails to talk to me when she sees me."

"Heh, so what's it like having your very own tooth fairy?" He asked slyly.

"Jamie!" The boy laughed, feeling satisfied that he'd flustered the young Guardian, if only a little. It wasn't a long walk since Jamie's house was actually next to the small lake, that had made it easy for Jack to get to know Jamie even before the boy had been able to see him. Things had changed over the 300 years he'd been alive and the forest that he'd once known was only a tiny thing now that was on the other side of his lake. Houses dotting much of the area now. Jack hadn't minded really, there were still some places besides his lake where the forest was allowed to bloom in the city; one such had been where Pitch's lair had been. Jack hadn't really thought about the Boogeyman in all the time since his defeat. Jack floated in the door behind Jamie, he figured that the kid had a right to know... even if North wouldn't approve. He waited until they were up in Jamie's room, the door closing behind him.

"You know," He said as he landed.

"North will tan my hide for this, but being my first believer... you're like a brother to me." Jamie turned, smiling a little though Jack could see the gears in his head turning as he processed this. Jack wasn't sure what Jamie thought about that, not to mention it was the closest that Jack could ever get to telling the boy just how much he meant to him.

"A brother huh?" Jack nodded as Jamie climbed into his bed to snuggle beneath the covers. Jack floated over to rest on the bed next to him, setting his staff against the wall within reach though he doubted he'd need it. Jamie closed his eyes as he snuggled close to Jack. _A brother..._ Jamie thought, he wouldn't cry. He didn't want Jack worrying. Jack glanced over, a little surprised the boy wanted to be so close, knowing how cold his body was.

"Jamie?" He wondered if Jamie had fallen asleep, but the boy murmured.

"I'm making up for lost time. Hope you don't mind the warmth."

"Nah, it's okay kiddo." Jack actually liked the feeling of warmth against him, he would never openly admit that of course; it was one of the things he liked about Jamie that he could never speak of. While he couldn't really stand the heat that often came with summer, this was different, it was a sort of warmth that calmed him and reminded him of past times when he had sat in front of the fire when he'd been human. Though it wasn't the same of course, it was still as welcoming to him as that fire had been. Jack was less worried about Jamie's warm body affecting him as he was the reverse, but Jamie had never really seemed to mind being close to Jack despite how cold his skin was; granted, Jack did have some control over it so that he didn't give Jamie frostbite or anything. A good thing considering as a young boy, Jamie had been prone to grabbing his hand and tugging him around to see various things. There was a moment of silence before Jamie spoke again, he opened his eyes this time though and Jack could see concern in his friend's face.

"Jack... I'm almost fifteen now... things are changing. I'm not officially a kid anymore. Everyone is changing, but... I still see you. I still believe, but the others..." Jack smiled a little, if not for himself than for Jamie. He didn't want his friend to worry, despite the fear that was causing his heart to throb painfully; he didn't want to lose Jamie, but at the same time he knew it was inevitable... and it would hurt...

"Yeah, that was bound to happen. I'm happy you can still see me. Honest, as my first believer... your belief is stronger than the others. It was only a matter of time before they moved on."

"So then... you knew?" Jack nodded a little, shifting to look up at the ceiling.

"North has talked to me about it on several occasions. It's part of growing up. That you still believe just makes you very special. Not everyone who grows up can continue to believe in us. Especially not this strongly even if they do."

"H-How... how do you stand it?" Jamie asked quietly, trying so hard now to not cry. It hurt, thinking that Jack had felt the loss of his believers, if only a handful... even with all the believers he knew the frost spirit had now he also knew too well that Jack wouldn't take well to losing any as he had spent three centuries without anyone... It hurt Jamie to think about that, to know that Jack was in pain.

"Well... even though I lose believers, there are always more who take their place." Jack sighed a little. It wasn't the same, he knew, but even when he'd felt the lights of his first believers begin to fade and disappear he'd felt the warmth of new believers spring to life to take their place... but there would never be anyone who could take Jamie's place. Jamie, as his first believer, would always have a special place in his heart. Jack wasn't sure he could stand it if Jamie's light ever went out... but he knew it would eventually, even if Jamie believed all his life... there would come a time when Jamie would grow old and die. It was an inevitability that Jack hated thinking about, because it just hurt too much.

"I'm not saying it doesn't matter to me, that it doesn't hurt Jamie. Quite the opposite, but there's not anything I can do about it. Me and the others... we're Guardians of Childhood Jamie. We can only do so much as long as we're believed in. Beyond that..." He trailed off, unsure of how else to explain this to Jamie, his best believer. Jack had noticed the lack of belief in Jamie's friends. He'd visited them as well a couple of times before coming to see Jamie, but they couldn't see or hear him anymore; they had moved on, as children were supposed to do after they had lost their last baby tooth, at least according to Tooth. Once that final tooth was lost the Guardians were supposed to pull back, allowing children to come to believe that it was their parents the whole time who had gotten them gifts, who had replaced their teeth with coins. It was a natural process, but that didn't mean that Jack had to like it. Truth be known, Jack had been dreading the day that it would happen. The day that he would lose his first believer... so far, however, it seemed that Jamie hadn't stopped believing. As much as Jack didn't want to think about it, as the boy next to him began to drift off as was evident when his breathing began to slow, he knew that there would come a day when Jamie didn't need him anymore. For Jack, their friendship would be all too brief, for a few years to a Guardian was like the blink of an eye was to a mortal creature. Jack wished they could be together for all time, but, it just wasn't possible. Jamie would continue to grow, he would get married, have children of his own likely, and then eventually grow old and die; and Jack... he wouldn't change one bit, forever frozen in time at the age he had been when he had fallen through the ice. Jack had never once regretted the choice he'd made to exchange his own life for that of his little sister, but he did wish now very much that he wasn't immortal. Being immortal wasn't what a lot of humans imagined it might be, especially since most immortals were invisible, even to the eyes of children and for various good reasons. Jack would give anything to be mortal so he could spend his life with Jamie and never have to worry about out living the boy. He watched Jamie sleep a while before turning his gaze back to the ceiling, even with his memories, he still wasn't sure he remembered what it was like to be human... to be a mortal. He closed his eyes, he would trade all his powers if he could just stay with Jamie forever.

3-2

**In the time since I last saw Jamie, things have only gotten worse for adults. What was once a stable economy had crumbled when Jamie had still been just a kid, but instead of getting better as the governments scrambled about like ants, things only degressed and that put a lot of strain on all of us Guardians to keep hopes and dreams alive in children. Even I, Jack Frost, found myself shoved and pushed around by North who demanded nearly all of my time in trying to make sure that children enjoyed winter. It was only when he explained what he'd seen... what I'd even noticed myself, that I understood really what was happening. The strain of events that echoed across the world weren't just pressing on the adults, it was affecting their children as well and that meant that belief was tested like never before. It meant that we had to work even harder to make sure that all the belief in the world didn't just up and vanish. Before now, I thought Pitch was our biggest worry in terms of belief, but as time passed and I worked hard I began to realize that there were other threats to belief that were just as dangerous as Pitch had been, if not more so. I would have been okay if that had happened, but the others... Without belief in them, they were crippled and lost everything. Tooth couldn't fly without the power of belief, Bunny became just a cute, ordinary bunny and North became an old man... I don't think anything would happen to Sandy since he really is more like me; he doesn't really have a lot of believers, even less than I do now I think, so his power wouldn't be affected by the lack of belief. I couldn't just watch that happen to them though, not again. It was bad enough the first time was my fault. It was only after many months of running around from one point to another that I began to feel the strain from it all; it was stressful to be cheerful for my believers all the time, knowing what was at stake every time I started a snowball fight or brought snow, forcing myself to play and pretend that everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. I thought I was prepared to deal with all this, but I wasn't and came to a point where even I felt that I need a hug and maybe just a moment with my best believer to help relieve a small portion of the burden even if I didn't tell him. Being with Jamie always made my day.**

Jack landed on the same fence that had always framed Jamie's yard, he was a little surprised at first to see the young teen with black hair. Was this someone else?

"Flick off." Jame said, his eyes steely as he regarded the two boys before him. It wasn't really a curse, per say, but it might as well have been with the way the boy had said it. _Hey... aren't those two of the bullies from before? Why are they still around? _The two backed off from Jamie, they were obviously scared of him, but Jamie didn't seem to notice. That they were standing there at all seemed to surprise Jack since the two almost looked to be cowering at the look Jamie was giving them at the moment. He wasn't sure whether he was happy at that fact or not that the two seemed afraid of the very person they'd once picked on.

"Jamie?" The boy turned and glanced towards Jack as he hopped down to stand behind the boy, it surprised him a little to see that instead of meeting the brown eyes he'd come to know there were a pair of black eyes staring back at him, the boy's expression not changing at all. What?! He had only been away about two years what had happened? Was this really Jamie? He looked him over, it sure looked to be him, even with the changes. Jack smiled, a little uneasy at the changes but he could deal with it, after all the things people liked changed with time. He didn't register the fact that the other boys had run off, leaving him with alone Jamie. Relief seemed to wash through Jack, he always felt better around Jamie.

"It really is you. I thought for a moment I -" He began as Jamie moved towards him, but he stopped mid-sentence when the boy closed his eyes, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked right past him without a single word. As if Jack wasn't even there.

"J-Jamie?" Jack's eyes widened... had Jamie... not seen him? He spun around, his chest tightening. Was this it? The moment that Jack had been dreading since he and Jamie had first become friends. Had he finally... ? Jack's heart throbbed painfully in his chest.

"Jamie!" He called, even as in his mind's eye he could see the young boy Jamie had once been, the boy who had always greeted him with a smile and a hug. Jack wasn't sure what was going on, his heart felt like a heavy stone as he quietly followed the boy around. Had he been mistaken? No, he quickly found out that he hadn't been, this was Jamie. He mutely followed him around town the following day; floating above the heads of everyone as the boy went from place to place. He heard all of the nasty things that were said about Jamie and it shocked him. He knew North had told him that he should visit Jamie because the boy was teetering on being on the naughty list, but Jack hadn't realized just how true that was; how could this be? The more whispers he heard from Jamie's classmates, adults, even some of the friends that Jamie had been close to as a kid... it was never anything good. The five kids who had helped Jack and the other Guardians weren't saying negative things about Jamie really, they were just really worried about their friend who didn't even seem to give them a second glance anymore. It was like they were invisible to him and Jack wondered what could have possibly happened in the time he'd been away that had changed Jamie so much. He knew he shouldn't believe the rumors he heard, or really anything any of the things he heard from the other teenagers but as Jack watched he couldn't help but feel his heart sink further as he saw for himself that there was some truth in what he had heard. Jack could only wonder why it was Jamie wasn't in school Once he'd finished lunch, Jamie sauntered off to a small forest grouping near the school he should have been attending; it wasn't the same that led to Jack's lake, but it was one of the few the city had not demolished either. He could only watch as Jamie pulled out a cigarette and lit it up, leaning up against a nearby tree as he dragged on it. It was something Jack disapproved of, but things like these were normal for teenagers. He could scarcely remember what it was like growing up himself into adolescence, but he'd seen time and time again that one thing hadn't changed with the times: growing up to be a teenager was a hellish phase.

There was at least one thing, he realized, that hadn't changed. He watched as Jamie sat in his room with a cherry popsicle, Jamie had gone home when the sun had begun to sink. Jack still hadn't been able to say a word to the boy. Jamie had once told him that he loved the things and that it didn't matter if the weather outside was hot or cold; he ate them year round. Jack wanted to talk to Jamie, wanted to do something... anything to know that Jamie still was his believer, but the teen seemed so distant so... Wait... what was he doing to that...? Jack's eyes widened a little as he watched the teen's tongue glide along the frozen treat. Jamie had closed his eyes, a look of pure contented pleasure on his face and Jack felt his throat tighten as he watched. He'd never seen Jamie eat one of his favorite treats like this before and he was completely caught off guard at the way his gut tightened at the soft pleasured sound that came from the boy. He felt a little like he was intruding on something private, but no matter what he felt he found his eyes were glued to the boy; he couldn't get himself to move. By the time the boy had finished the treat, Jack was thoroughly shaken. He swallowed multiple times, but the lump in his throat didn't go away. He just... he wanted... oh moon... what was wrong with him?! He knew he shouldn't feel this way about Jamie, oh he'd fought it off several times and it wasn't hard when the boy had been younger, but now... Now Jamie was near the same age Jack had been when when he'd fallen through the ice. Jack's whole being hummed with want, he made himself scarce; flying off to Antarctica. This was trouble. He'd had problems before in hiding his true feelings from Jamie when the boy had turned fourteen, but he'd dealt with it. When had Jamie become more to him than a brother? He wasn't sure he knew the answer to that and was even less sure that he cared. It scared him. He wasn't supposed to feel this way towards his friend, his believer. Let alone a mortal.

There were too many complications when it came to loving mortals. The most glaringly obvious one being how short their lives were. All mortals grew up, grew old and died. Jack was immortal, he would never change. He would always look like he was between the ages of sixteen and nineteen no matter how old he got. As he flew fast on the winds towards the wintry tundra, he kept telling himself over and over that he couldn't do this. He couldn't afford to get involved with Jamie like this and he didn't even know if Jamie even felt anything similiar to what he did. Plus, the boy had a girlfriend... that had to mean he likely wouldn't feel the same, right? It was just... oh moon... there was no getting around this. No matter how much Jack told himself that it wouldn't work, it did nothing to dampen the emotions he felt, not even as the heat he'd felt before, from watching Jamie enjoy his snack, had chilled by the time he reached the place he'd fought with Pitch those years before. The ice sculpture stood before him, as menacingly beautiful as ever. Forever a reminder to Jack of what had taken place in that spot, of how lost he had truly been then. As he stared at it though all he could think of was Jamie. Pitch had tried to get Jack on his side, stating that cold and dark went together. Yes, they did... he couldn't deny that, but ... Well, Pitch had wanted from him what he couldn't give. The other had wanted him to help spread fear and Jack hadn't wanted to be feared. The longer that Jack stared at it, the more he began to see how the sculpture reminded him of Jamie and himself. He the jagged icy cold with a mix of something else along it... harsh edges that were frigid and unyielding while the sand was just a dusting of color. Jamie was like the sand in that it was smooth and so little compared to the ice. It wasn't infinite... but Jack... like the ice... was there forever. Thinking on this, Jack fell to his knees before it and wept bitter tears. Tears of what was, of what could not be.

3 - 3

Jack sat in the tree above his friend some days later in Jack's forest, his mind was a whirl of unanswered questions and unspoken fear. _He didn't walk through me, but... he didn't seem to see or hear me either... has he really let go? _

"Jamie's still the same." Jack's head jerked up as he heard his friend's name mentioned by someone else. He spied the two girls who were walking together, one with a skirt on despite the cold weather, and some skin tight slacks while the other wore a beanie hat and scarf. _Hey... isn't that... Pippa and Cupcake? _Despite having grown up much like Jamie, he could definitely see it was them. They were different, more mature, but there was no mistaking it. Maybe he could ask them about Jamie? After all, they were his friends, they'd know wouldn't they? He floated over to them and stopped before them.

"I met him the other day, he didn't respond much." Cupcake was saying as the two drew close to Jack, neither seeming to notice him.

"Hey girls how-" He cut off when the two girls didn't seem to respond at all and walked right through him. Jack shuddered at the tingling feeling that spread throughout his body. He _hated_ that feeling and following right on its heels was the sadness he knew too well, the disappointment. He should have been expecting it at this point, but it'd be too easy to forget that Jamie's friends had begun to forget about him and the other Guardians, that they had stopped believing. The girls continued to talk, but Jack had tuned them out. They didn't see him, they didn't know he was there... it was like when they were younger before that fateful Easter... they had lost their belief and so to them Jack Frost may as well have been a ghost. It hurt, sure, but it wasn't quite as bad as Jack had thought it might be. Certainly couldn't hold a flame to what he was feeling now, the doubts nagging at his mind about Jamie. The other hadn't walked through him, but he couldn't help thinking "but" come after that thought each time. Jamie hadn't acknowledged him once. As he followed the boy back to his house, he didn't actually go in this time, feeling a lot like he was intruding. It was an odd feeling considering that he'd often followed Jamie inside when he'd been younger and neither had thought anything of it, but now... Why was there a "but" at the end of all his thoughts now? He sighed, hanging upside down as he peered into the boy's room as he had so often before Jamie had believed in him. He could hear the music blaring and he had to wince at the lyrics he heard.

"Can anybody hear me, or am I talking to myself?" The words sent a pang through Jack, reminding him of the time when he had been all alone... was Jamie feeling that? Did he feel as abandoned now as Jack had when he realized that nothing he did would work on getting people, adults or children, to see him?

"Can I please come down? I'm deafened by the silence, is it something that I've done? I know that there are millions... I can't be the only one..." Jack shuddered at the lyrics, he couldn't take it anymore, the feeling that filled him and the sinking feeling in his heart that he had lost his believer... his first believer. That... it was all over now. He would never see the boy smile again. He pulled back, missing the glance that Jamie spared his window where it was frosted over, he sat down for a moment. Jack wanted so badly to cry, but he couldn't, the tears just wouldn't come and he flew off, shaken badly. He had never imagined that it would be like this, that it would hurt so much. He knew it would hurt, but even though he'd tried to steel himself for it over the years he hadn't been anywhere as prepared as he had hoped to be... It felt like someone had ripped his heart out, piece by piece and still was... that claws were slowly drawing every bit of it out and the agony saw no end in sight. Oh moon.. he wanted to scream, to cry... to... something! He couldn't though... it was like he felt so much that his tears had left him.

He flew off to the pole, his mind seemed to be running in circles. He felt as if his heart had dropped from his chest and had been left behind. Jamie had been the center of everything for Jack... He'd been the first to believe in Jack... To be his first friend... The reason he'd become a Guardian in the first place... Feeling rejected and so alone again, he decided to do the only thing he could... spend time at the pole and wait for his next assignment from North. Days later found him sitting at the window, watching snow fall outside in slow motion, his hoodie pulled over his head as he stared up at the half moon that was showing. _You knew this would happen... didn't you?_ He silently asked the moon as he just stared. He could have cursed Manny, raged at him as he had done often in the past but he just didn't feel it. He couldn't dredge up the anger or the energy to feel anything other than what he did. He barely had enough energy to summon up the snow he spread around the world for his believers to play in. He was heartbroken.

"Jack. You mope for days... you not right are you?" North asked quietly, Jack had _never_ stayed this long at the pole let alone at this one window. He normally froze elves or bugged the yetis, but not once had he done anything of the sort and North had noticed that he seemed out of it every time he asked Jack to spread some snow, particularly when he asked Jack to do so in Burgess. Jack had barely said two words to the Guardian of Wonder since he'd arrived nearly a week ago. There was no doubt about it, Jack hadn't been himself since he'd arrived and there was something about his fellow Guardian that bugged North though what was ailing the frost spirit he wasn't sure he knew the entire story, but he knew most of the why. He had bugged Jack about it after two days of complete silence from the boy, which had been very uncharacteristic of the Guardian of Fun.

"You're right... I'm not." Jack replied, he shifted to lay his head back against the frame of the window sill, it was large enough that it might as well have been a window seat. _Who am I trying to fool? Jamie had to grow up some time... I haven't always been there for him either... I don't deserve him as a friend... It's better this way, if he just forgets me fully and moves on... Just like everyone else..._ Jack nearly sighed, but it didn't even make it past his internal thoughts let alone to his throat. Well, the other Guardians hadn't forgotten him yet, but every other spirit he'd known, even those who had known him when he had been alive had forgotten him and moved on with their lives. His heart had been shattered, but he didn't let it show; tried not to let it as he continued on with his existence, knowing that there was nothing more he could do.

"It's not surprising, he is 16 after all. Then again you would find this strange as is Jamie, but Jack, you've lived 300 years. You _know_ this world, how it works."

"Yeah." It didn't help he did, it just made it all the worse really because he'd been _hoping_ that Jamie would be different, be an exception, but it seemed that it wasn't to be. North moved over to Jack, staring down at the young Guardian.

"You who have fearlessly faced Nightmare King are afraid of boy? Dare not confront him?" Jack looked up at him, his eyes wide with his sorrow, begging North to understand his pain, to understand what he was going through even if he really didn't. He sighed after a moment, North had gotten him to say what had happened after he'd been there for three days and had refused to let him out of the room he'd lent him until he had. It had been the most the winter spirit had said to him during the whole time he'd been there.

"Yeah... pretty pathetic aren't I?" North smiled, his eyes soft with understanding.

"Yes, but I know how you feel. Have you checked light on globe?"

"Yeah, but -"

"No but." North cut him off, he wasn't going to have Jack go down that road. He had warned Jack about the fact that Jamie was likely to move on, but the boy had proved to be different. He hadn't stopped believing and even now his light still shone on the globe. Jamie had proved to be the exception far past what any other child his age in this era, clinging to his belief for far longer than was normally possible.

"Let me ask, Jack. Do you believe in Jamie?" Jack stared at his fellow Guardian, caught unaware by the question. _Do I... believe in Jamie? Believe that... _He didn't let the thought finish. Jack wasn't sure he knew the answer to that question, wasn't entirely sure what sort of question it was really, but there was only one way he was ever going to know. He would have to go back.


	4. Chapter 4

4 - 1

Sophie hummed softly to herself, brushing one of her messy locks from her face; she was in a pleasant mood. A snowball slammed into her back and she spun around, not because it was a snowball but because it _hurt_. She saw a couple of boys standing a few feet from her, one was tossing a snowball back and forth in his hands with a cruel smirk on his face.

"Hey _fairy_ you so lost in your own world you forgot to use a comb? Or did you lose it?" Sophie's eyes went a little wide as one of the other boys boldly stepped forward to grab a piece of her hair, but before he could grab it a hand caught his wrist in such a hard grip that he squeaked a little in pain.

"Hands off." The voice said, pure steely calm in it, but there was an underlying threat there too. Sophie turned to see Jamie was the one who'd appeared. The boy's eyes widened a little.

"Are you so scared of me now that you're picking on my sister? How cowardly... trying to beat up defenseless young girls instead of being a man..." He narrowed his eyes at the boy who backed off instantly as soon as Jamie let him go.

"Fuck this, let's get out of here!" The first boy said and the two scampered off.

"Brother..." Sophie breathed, relieved.

"Are you alright Soph?" He asked, not even looking at her as she clung to him, not answering and Jamie growled out a curse.

"Soph, how many times do I have to tell you to stop confronting these people? You don't have to. If I hadn't passed by when I did-"

"NO!" Sophie yelled, cutting him off. Her eyes shone with her determination.

"If I didn't stand up for you then you'd be all alone in this! Because they DO exist!" Hic. _Great, now she's got the hiccups._ The sound came again and Jamie nearly sighed, his sister got so easily worked up these days and she was sensitive. He ruffled her hair lightly as the sound came again. He knew she meant well.

"I know, but you can't simply tell someone and expect them to believe. Some people just can't believe no matter what you tell them. You could shove proof right under their noses and they still wouldn't, they'd make up some excuse." Jack watched the two silently, he'd created a snowball to interfere if need be, like he had a couple years ago, but it looked as if his interference hadn't been needed and there was some bitter-sweet comfort in that. _Well, at least that much hasn't changed. He's still protecting his little sister._

"Hey Jamie... do you think Jack is coming this year?" Sophie asked as Jack watched the two of them walk towards their house. He let the snowball drop into the snow below him.

"Hmmm, well it's snowed so he must have come already, but showing himself is another matter." Jack started. _You talk about me as if... but you don't see me? Is that it? Have you simply lost the faith though you only feed your sister's belief? That you lie about what you believe for her benefit now? _He wondered with a sharp pang.

"Here, go ahead and go inside. I've got some things to do but I'll be back later okay?" The sound of Jamie's voice brought Jack out of his thoughts. Jamie watched his sister go inside, Jack felt like he'd fallen out of a tree just watching Jamie, it didn't hurt all over... just in one very specific spot. Jamie had grown so much... Had changed so much... What was he going to do? He knew he couldn't avoid this. North had said as much last time they'd spoken. He sucked in a breath as he tried to steel himself for this. He couldn't run away again, he had to know for certain this time.

"Don't go starting any fights okay bro?" Sophie said and Jamie smiled, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Come on now, I've never started any fights." He walked off, heading for the small forest where Jack had saved him from a few bullies years back. He could only watch as Jamie found a spot near an old oak and settled in the snow without complaint or even too much thought. He began to write in a little book he had with him, despite his curiosity, Jack didn't close the distance. He stood in the tree branch that reached out just behind Jamie, he watched the boy but didn't speak nor did he try to see what Jamie was writing. It wasn't any of his business and he felt that any attempt to see it would be intruding and he wasn't going to do that. Then Jamie began to stand slowly, Jack felt that it was now or never. They were alone. He drifted over and down in front of Jamie, landing before the boy and was a little surprised when the boy yanked lightly on a cord, pulling out a set of earphones. Had Jamie had those in this whole time? There was no way to be sure, he hadn't even noticed that Jamie had been wearing them. He felt skittish. North was right, he really didn't want to confront Jamie, but he knew he had to. This couldn't go on. He had to know for sure if Jamie had forgotten, had to know if the boy really didn't see him, to see if Jamie would... Jack's grip on his staff tightened as his nerves bounced all over the place. This was it. Jamie seemed to stare right through him, rather than at him and moved forward. Jack watched as he tucked away the ear pieces.

"Jamie." No response.

"Hey. Can you hear me? Can't you... see me?" Jack began shaking a little, he wanted so badly to know and at the same time... Even as he felt his heart clench as if to steel itself against the worst, against the feeling of phantom pain that would come if the teen walked through him... Jamie didn't answer, but he moved forward and Jack felt his entire being stiffen. Waiting to see what would happen but not want to feel that sensation that would mean Jamie had forgotten him, that he had grown up and left behind Jack and the other Guardians. _It's selfish of me and inappropriate as a Guardian but I... I don't mind if anyone else forgets, if they never see or hear me again but Jamie... I can't... I just... _Fear welled up in the frost Guardian as Jamie just stared as if seeing nothing. His greatest fear seemed to bloom right before him and he felt he was going to lose it if he didn't say something, if something didn't happen now he would just...

"Didn't you tell me you wouldn't stop believing?" He fumbled for the words, shaking with fear, closing his eyes tightly as Jamie moved closer.

"Don't go back on your word!" He practically yelled, desperation fueling his words. He couldn't... he couldn't lose Jamie he just... He cried out his greatest fear, tears forming under his eyes despite how tightly he clenched them shut, not wanting to see his fear come true.

"Don't you **dare** walk through me!" Jamie stopped a few inches away from Jack. Jack's breath caught in his throat. He was very much on the verge of tears spilling down his face now, but he forced them back and carefully opened his eyes after a moment of not feeling anything at all... meeting the black colored ones. Fear caused his eyes to go wide, coupled with disbelief and... He felt his heart seem to leap up into his throat as Jamie stepped closer and leaned his head against Jack. Jack could feel the warmth coming from Jamie... from the contact.

_He... he didn't... _Shock rippled through the Guardian instead of joy. He should have been happy, but he was still in too much shock that his greatest fear had not come true though he had stood face-to-face with it. He had come so close to his greatest fear being realized... to being back where he'd started ten years ago... and he was certain he couldn't handle it a second time. He had the other Guardians, but it wasn't the same, he _needed_ Jamie. More than he had even realized until that moment. Despite all of the warnings, all of the precaution he'd taken himself... he depended on Jamie. He wasn't sure how to take that in, how to handle any of this really.

"You... came back." Jamie said softly. Jack wasn't sure what to say, the only contact he had with him was the feel of his forehead against Jack's chest. Finally as relief coursed through him, all the tension that had been building seemed to flow out of him and his staff fell from his hand, hitting the snow with a soft thud as Jack sucked in a breadth; barely daring for this to be real. With the fear and tension gone, he felt so drained, so tired, all of the sudden as if some magical leech had attached itself to him and sucked away his powers.

"You... can still see me?" He asked quietly, his voice shaking a little.

"Your breathing is so hard... your heart seems to be pounding too." Jamie murmured. It wasn't exactly an answer and at the same time, it was.

"Were you that scared? That I might not see you? You're shaking too." Jack knew he was, but he didn't care. Jamie could see him ... he... Jamie shifted and picked up the staff he'd dropped.

"Here." Jack took the staff from him as realization of what had just happened suddenly hit him full force and he slammed the staff down on Jamie's head, angry and hurt... well more hurt than anything.

"Ow! This is how you repay someone for picking up your staff for you?!"

"You brat!" Jamie blinked, seeming not to understand as Jack raged, anger swelling him him and seeming to fuel him with energy again.

"You could see me this whole time! Why didn't you say anything?! Why did you make it seem like you didn't? You freaked me out majorly! Why?!"

"Before I answer, answer me this. Where were you the last two years?" Jack blinked.

"Well, I was working -"

"Don't give me that frostbite." Jack nearly winced at the force behind the words followed by a curse, Jamie really had started using more curse words... something Jack had never done himself really just because he didn't feel the need to. Not to mention that when one spent the whole of their existence around young kids, it just wasn't appropriate, even if he knew the kids couldn't see or hear him.

4 - 2

Jack was stunned at the intense look in Jamie's eyes.

"I saw you no less than six times both years and yet _both_ times you turned tail and fled."

"Wha- I told you I had work."

"Don't give me that crap! People always find a way to spend time with each other no matter how hard they work or how long if they care... I looked up to you, more than anyone else in this world. Apparently I was just another kid to you, the best thing I ever was, was the last light that night when no one else believed." Jack was stunned, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did he really not know just how special he was to Jack?

"Of course now you don't need me anymore now that everyone believes again." He spun away from Jack, angry. Seriously? Did Jamie honestly think _that_ of him after all the time they'd spent together?! Did _none_ of that mean anything to the teen?!

"Just forget it. I was full of myself thinking that maybe I was special. That I was _different_ from all the other kids you played with. Well you aren't busy now, are you? Why don't you just take off like you always do. I'm not a child anymore so I won't bother you." Jack felt himself begin shaking as Jamie began to walk off... Something snapped in him suddenly, and it wasn't anger this time. This wasn't happening. He wasn't going to let it... he couldn't. He snapped his staff out and hooked Jamie before the boy could get too far, yanking him back towards him.

"You're not going anywhere." He said the words matter-of-factly. Jamie slammed back into the ground, the snow barely cushioning the fall as Jack twisted about so he now was standing in front of Jamie, meeting the boy's eyes as he raised himself up on his elbows.

"What the he-" He began.

"You've no idea." Jack said, cutting him off sharply. He was going to make sure the boy got it through his thick skull that things were _not_ how he was trying to make them out to be.

"There are _rules_ and I am scared, but I'd break every last one of them down to the letter if it meant seeing you! Why would I not want to see you when you're... my ONLY favorite child!" Jamie stared up at Jack in shock, he hadn't expected this.

"Your... favorite child?" Jamie asked, breathing out the words in something of wonder. Jack met his shocked gaze with his own. He hadn't meant to say that. North had _warned_ him against this time and time again, about choosing favorites, about telling the one who held his heart so about this... but... well, if it was all he could do to get Jamie to understand... then so be it. He wasn't going to take back the words as he leaned down the length of his staff, the crook still around Jamie.

"Did you just say...?" Jamie began, feeling very vulnerable and knowing he'd crossed a line, Jack jerked his staff so it wasn't around Jamie anymore and turned away from the boy. He was sweating bullets now. He **really** shouldn't have...

"I-I ... shouldn't have said that... I wasn't supposed to tell you..." He shook, as much afraid of the repercussions of what he'd just done as he was of Jamie forgetting him. The sound of scratching a few moments later made Jack turn around and his eyes went wide.

"A-are you writing that down?!"

"Well you meant it, didn't you?" Jamie replied, his expression calm now. North's words echoed in his mind: If you have a favorite child you must never let them know.

Jack stared at Jamie, had just... He wasn't sure if he should... How had things gotten so complicated, so out of hand so quickly?

"The truth?" Jamie asked, that intense look was back in the kid's eyes and Jack nearly sighed; apparently he couldn't back out now. This was the only way to reach the teen.

"Yeah... didn't you know you're the only one I spend time with?" Sure he'd started snowball fights with other kids and still did, but he never really stuck around to play with them once the fight had started; he'd always flown off to the next group of kids, but not when it came to Jamie and his friends. Jamie put away the book and his pen, one hand coming to cover his face, a brief laugh escaping him. _Geez... don't cry now Jamie._ He told himself, but he never thought he'd feel such joy again. It was like the joy inside him had simply been waiting for Jack to speak those words, to open the box again that held the same joy he had felt as a young boy. The joy he'd always felt when Jack had come to visit him. Jack had said he'd been busy working and Jamie had just assumed it meant he played with every kid on the planet

"Jamie?" Jack asked, concern on his face. Jamie let his hand drop a moment before considering what Jack had said earlier. The intense look seemed to have faded into something of a calm look now.

"So, there are rules restricting you from me?" He asked, wondering if he had it right.

"Yes."

"Okay. Ok." Things were starting to fall into place. He met the winter spirit's gaze, thoughtful now as he considered what all of this meant.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

"Eh?" Jack wasn't sure he understood.

"You said you were scared, of what?"

"That..." He couldn't put voice to his fear a second time, it was bad enough when he practically screamed it moments before; when he'd been so afraid that it had been true.

"Me forgetting you? That seems to be only part of a reason." Jamie asked, as if he could read Jack's mind.

"Yeah." Jack replied after a moment. He wasn't sure he was ready to admit just what losing Jamie really meant. That him forgetting Jack wouldn't just hurt because he was his friend and first believer. He didn't think the teen needed to know just yet that Jack didn't just see him as the brother he had confessed Jamie to being years before.

"Alright, I'll tell you my reason for ignoring you. I thought that you seeing me or not didn't make a difference." Jack's eyes shined with hurt at this, but Jamie went on as if he didn't notice though he had and it hurt him in return. He hadn't meant to hurt Jack.

"I thought you didn't care. I wanted to see if you would come after me if I ignored you long enough."

"Well I did, I **DO** care!" Jack burst out, not believing that Jamie would ever think such things.

"Yeah. That's all I wanted, I can see that... when you thought that I might walk through you, you were close to..." He hesitated.

"Hey look it's freaky Jamie!" Someone called out before Jamie could finish and both of them turned to see a couple of figures in the near distance, though it was hard to tell if they were male or female from how bundled up they were against the cold. Their words rang harshly in Jack's mind, he thought he knew what Jamie had gone through but now he began to realize he was only beginning to understand...

"Scram!" Jamie yelled at them. When they didn't he let out a string of vulgar insults at the two that shocked Jack that he even knew those words, let alone their meaning... He turned back to Jack after a moment.

"We should probably head back to my house and continue this in privacy." He mumbled just loud enough to be heard. Jack couldn't argue there.

"Come." It was a simple thing, almost a command really, but Jack didn't mind. _He can still see me... that's a relief... but... but his personality... The way he handles things and the way he looks at me... It's so different than when I last saw him... Jamie... why did you change so drastically? Was it because I wasn't there? _Jack felt guilty over that, but as he'd said... he'd had work, but at the same time he knew Jamie had been right. He should have taken the time, even if only a moment, to at least wave at Jamie when he saw him. To offer a friendly salute or a few words even if he had not been able to do anything more. The boy had deserved a lot more from him than he had given. Would it have made a difference if he had? He wasn't sure, but he knew he had failed the boy. Jamie deserved more than he had offered and Jack couldn't shake the guilt that stole over him as he slowly followed Jamie back to the house. The same one that held so many memories of the past for them both. Most of them weren't very happy either, which was why Jack didn't really want to intrude earlier when Jamie had been ignoring him; though he hadn't known that was what Jamie had been doing at the time. One just didn't walk into someone's home uninvited, invisible or not; it was the one boundary that Jack had always abided by. He had sometimes followed others into public buildings, like shops and restaurants when he'd been trying to get attention from some children. Other than that, he stayed outside unless of course he was called... He felt a shudder go through him, grateful that Jamie seemed to be oblivious of that side of Jack. He didn't want to talk about that with Jamie, let alone at all. He couldn't bare it if Jamie looked at him with disgust or worse... hate...

4 - 3

Jack glanced about the room curiously when he stepped inside. It had been so long since he'd been in here... and it had changed so drastically... well, no that wasn't right. It had been different last time he'd been here too but it wasn't that much different then now. Thinking about it, last time he was here the toys were gone then too, not a figure of anything in sight and Jack wondered what he'd done with them. Had he given the toys he'd made with his own hands to his younger sister or had he done away with them in another manner? Jamie's main interests hadn't changed too much from when he was a boy. Jack realized that as his gaze shifted from a poster of a human boy and a black dragon to a ufo with the word "believe" beneath it, to even a strange skeletal figure who was posed on some strange land formation that looked like it should be a cliff but the shape of it reminded Jack of a picture he'd once seen that had blown up the appendage that butterflies used to drink nectar from flowers. Jack couldn't recall what the name of it was and he dismissed the thought, it wasn't important. He had no idea who that was supposed to be, he hadn't really paid as much attention to such things as what movies were popular in the last several years, not since Jamie had been able to see him; he'd spent all his time and energy with Jamie and his friends since that fateful Easter and he'd had some free time from his new duties... well, they weren't so new anymore. As he glanced around, he realized there was something missing, something vital, it took him a moment to realize it was the drawing... _Where did it go? _What had Jamie done with the drawing he'd made as a child? The one that he'd added Jack to after he had seen the winter spirit and learned he'd been responsible for the crazy sled ride just before Easter... Had Jamie gotten rid of it? Jack wanted to ask, but he was afraid of the answer even as Jamie pulled out a chair from the desk and sat backwards on it, resting his arms on the back as he looked at Jack who sat on the edge of the bed. He wanted to believe that it was still in the teen's possession, but he was afraid to think that maybe Jamie had discarded it during the two years that he'd been away. Jack began to feel a little uncomfortable when he realized there was silence between the two of them; Jamie had always talked constantly when he'd come to visit before, in fact it had often been hard for him to get in a word edgewise. The boy had talked nearly non-stop about anything and everything he could think of. Introducing Jack to things that Jack hadn't been able to experience before. Including the fact that Jack wasn't used to eating a whole lot, even though he didn't need to eat as an immortal, and had been ill when Jamie had first introduced him to pancakes. Jack hadn't wanted to disappoint the boy and had really enjoyed them, his system however... Jamie had been surprisingly understanding once Jack had returned from the bathroom. That had been several years ago, the boy had always seemed to be understanding when it came to Jack. He'd been always so enthusiastic too and... it was just so different now. He wanted badly to talk to Jamie but he didn't know where he should begin or how to really. He wasn't sure that the kid would like what he had to say as it was, but he had gotten through to the boy with his careless words earlier. He inwardly winced, there was no doubt he was going to get it when he saw North again. The Guardian of Wonder didn't miss anything... one reason why Jack had held the record for being on the naughty list for so long... Jack nearly winced at the thought, he wasn't bothered by his past really but he hadn't meant to make trouble deliberately... except when he was trying it as a last ditch result when he was trying to get someone... ANYONE to see him... He wondered, briefly, if he could weasel out of that... then snapped his thoughts back to the present, he would think of that later. He needed to pay attention to Jamie now.

"So, what do you want to know?" The casual way he said it surprised Jack.

"I'll answer any question you ask." Could it be that simple? Jack had never found it that simple to do the same, especially when Jamie had pressed him about the story of his past... He still remembered how upset Jamie had been when he'd talked of his death and the 300 years he'd spent alone. That had not been this Jamie though, this Jamie was different... more... closed off. More... _More like me._ Jack realized with a jolt. The teen was obviously more controlled when it came to his emotions and that made it very difficult for Jack to know how to react, or gauge what he should tell him. It was, he reflected, a lot like how Jack used his mischievous side to keep from revealing too much. Was this why the other Guardians had trouble talking to him? Instead of mischief though, what Jamie used was just an intense calm that seemed to unsettle Jack a little. Jack felt hurt that he seemed so distant with him, they were best friends weren't they? So ... Why?

"Well, first off... what's with the hair and eyes? Why are they black?" Jamie shrugged off the question easily.

"Just dye and colored contacts. You know about those things right?"

"Well yeah, but why change?"

"It makes me feel unseen. I think it helps me feel comfortable. You probably think it's silly."

"No. I understand actually, especially when being seen brings complications." Complications, that was a good summary of his whole relationship with Jamie. The other Guardians too. His life had been pretty uncomplicated before that fateful Easter when the Man in the Moon had suddenly let the other Guardians know that Jack was supposed to join them. That was when everything that he had ever known had changed.

"What happened to you Jamie?" _He used to be so outgoing... so cheerful... optimistic..._

"Life happened." That wasn't an answer, Jack nearly sighed. He wasn't sure he could blame him really. Jack hadn't exactly been open with him either, but by the moon he at least had valid reasons... didn't he? Still he couldn't take this distance. He stood up suddenly, couldn't Jamie see how painful it was for Jack to see him like this?

"Jamie, I want to help. I want to know about what bothers you, I know you're on edge and I've heard rumors... I believe in you Jamie. I don't care how you say it, even if you get vulgar... just spill it." Jack reached out but Jamie caught his hand before Jack could touch him.

"Okay." He closed his eyes.

"You should sit down." He said before opening his eyes again. Jack did as he said, feeling a little hurt that his friend didn't seem to want the comfort he so badly wished to offer the boy, the one who had found a place in his heart no other could fill. Jamie sighed a little, he felt the burden of the past settle on his shoulders and, for a brief moment, he wished he hadn't pushed Jack away. For that one brief moment he just wanted to run to Jack, his friend and wrap his arms around him, to tell him everything and ask him to forgive him for being so cold earlier. He shook himself inwardly. He wasn't that child anymore. Things were... different.

"Where to begin..."

"How about, and this is going to be blunt, the rumor that you beat someone so bad they had to go to the hospital?" It was just one of the rumors floating about. There were others of course, but this one seemed to be the one that most overshadowed all the others. Jamie met his eyes and Jack wished that he would drop his mask, if only for a moment, to give him a glimpse of the boy he still hoped was inside; the boy he remembered, who believed.

"Yeah, that one is true."

"You want to tell me why?"

"Because he killed Monty and nearly did the same to Pippa." Jack's eyes widened. He remembered them both... he'd seen Pippa chatting with Cupcake what seemed like just yesterday and he suddenly wondered what had happened. Jack was silent, his expression did not change as Jamie went on.

"Monty and Pippa always went to camp for the summer. The one responsible claimed it was an accident, but of course it wasn't entirely. Maybe this accident wouldn't have happened if we'd gotten the two not to go... if we'd all stayed together..."

"How? What happened?" Jack asked, eyes still wide. Barely able to absorb what Jamie was telling him. He really wanted to know.

"My friends and I were never on good grounds with everyone else because we believed. Mostly because we had never stopped believing after all this time... It was two summers ago, right after you'd left. Everything at the camp was fine until a group of five decided to challenge my friends, as they always did. They were outnumbered, not that it's ever stopped us before... but it was different this time. Monty has never been good in a fight so Pippa might as well have been on her own... They thought that maybe it would be best to run back towards camp, to where others were waiting. It was dark though and Pippa and Monty got separated in the mad dash back. Maybe killing wasn't their true intention, but everyone knew about the tension between us and these five. Pippa made it back to camp, she'd twisted her ankle badly and was bruised and bleeding from minor scrapes, but Monty... he'd run in a different direction... No one believed Pippa when she tried to explain what happened. According to those who were chasing Monty... he just fell on his own, straight off a cliff. No one believed her... but we did. Cupcake and I were furious, as were the twins." Jamie paused a moment, as if to catch his breath.

"Out of our group, everyone knew Monty was the weak link; the least capable of defending himself. They weren't even punished for it. The cops ruled it an accident and those responsible... nothing happened. When we were at school during the first week the same group tried to bully Pippa into being quiet about the issue... they really did a number on her and when I saw that one of them was insinuating that there would be... unsavory advances on her person if she didn't keep quiet... I lost it." Jack listened quietly, he was shocked beyond words at what he was hearing. He knew kids could be cruel to their peers, but this... this went far beyond that... Beyond anything he could ever have imagined for his friends.

"I didn't mean for it to get this ugly. Pippa felt so guilty for so long that she had made it back when Monty didn't. He was the most fragile of our little group, couldn't even run to keep up with us without his inhaler and he... he paid a price none of us thought any of us would. Every time I think about it..." Jamie's face disappeared from view when he rested his head on the arm that rested on the back of his chair. He felt like he was going to cry, he _wanted_ to cry, but there were no more tears left in him and any pain he truly felt had become hatred towards those who had done this to his friend.

"I keep thinking that I could have been there... That I could have _done_ something... That things would have been different if only I hadn't accepted that job and accepted their offer to go with them..." Jack felt a tug of familiarity, hadn't he said something so similar to North six years ago before he was a Guardian? He had felt this guilt when Pitch had destroyed Sandy... He'd kept thinking that if maybe he'd been faster... If he had just reacted sooner that... He shook the memory away, Sandy was fine. He had come back from what Pitch had done, but he knew there was no bringing back Monty. The friend that had been lost was a human, a mere mortal, not an immortal like Sandy or himself. Jack couldn't help feeling guilty over this himself... if maybe he'd just been here instead of ... Well, there was nothing to be done now. He had Jamie to think of; it was Jamie who needed his help now and he had no intention of running this time. He wouldn't simply leave his friend this way. Jack moved once more to reach out again to touch Jamie's head, to comfort him some how only to stop before his hand touched the young man's head. It wouldn't help and he didn't have the words to comfort him.

"I'm sorry to hear that." His hand dropped uselessly back to his side.

"Don't be, I'm over it, but what I can't get over is how I'm still suspended from school..." That notion jolted Jack. Jamie was...?

"How unfair it is that I was punished with that for defending Pippa and... Monty's memory from those douche bags... and they didn't get even a slap on the wrist for what they'd done to Monty. All because their ringleader is related to the principal." He lifted his head, his gaze intense again, but with what Jack wasn't entirely sure.

"I saw then that this whole world revolves around power and who you know. At school... at work... I saw subordinates abused by their superiors just because of their race, their gender, even religion and yeah... It's illegal but they still do it and there's little to nothing that the victims can do about it because the chain that's supposed to protect them against crap like that is so messed up... All they think about higher up is how much money they make and couldn't care less about those below them. Things like that get pushed under the table as long as the employees make them enough money and there's no physical violence. This world is all about money, power, and how much you have of each... it's seriously messed up." Jack felt sorry that Jamie had to go through this, that any of this had happened, and he hadn't been around... that... the world had seemed to be so unfair to this precious boy.

"When I was a kid, playing with my friends was the focus of my whole world, of my existence, but when I grew up... my eyes were opened to just how screwed the world really is and the magic of my childhood faded and all but disappeared completely." Jack's breath caught in his throat. He knew the truth, he'd been around the world for 300 years, so he was no stranger to what Jamie described but to see this in his friend's eyes... it was almost like when he'd first discovered it. Discovered how cruel the world could be to children, to young adults as they tried to make their way out in the world. There was so much cruelty, yes, but there was so much in it good too. It was one of the reasons the Guardians were there, to protect the children from harm until they could grow and handle the cruel truths of the world. Here, though, he saw that Jamie had still been too much of a kid... He hadn't stopped believing and because he hadn't, because his heart was still much like that of a young child; he hadn't been prepared at all. Jack wanted so badly to just hug the boy, like he had when Jamie was younger but he didn't dare. After a moment, he decided that he had something better, something that the young man before him couldn't object to as he might the hug. He formed a snowball and slammed it into Jamie's face.  
"Jack?! What the he- what was that for?! Do I LOOK like I'm in the mood?"

"That," Jack said, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders, his eyes serious. "was to wake you up. What are you saying? Have you even heard yourself? You're 16! You have a long way to go, you have to try twice as hard to live life for Monty." He shifted before the chair, his hands not moving as he lowered himself to Jamie's eye level; his staff forgotten on the floor for the moment as his attention was on only Jamie.

"Things will get better, Jamie. Trust me on this."

"What... made you say that?" Jamie asked, a little stunned at Jack's reaction.

"Me. You have to believe in me Jamie. We will get through this, together."

"You've been around for 300 years, haven't you been through it all? I mean all those wars, like World War 1 and 2." Jack shook his head slowly.

"There's still a lot I haven't been through." He replied, but didn't elaborate. He was hoping Jamie wouldn't ask, instead - much to his relief - Jamie asked another question and that relief was soon gone in a flash.

"How did you cope then, during the wars?"

"Well, I just closed myself off... It was a trying time for me." _The sounds of destruction... the screams of pain... if I hadn't retreated to Antarctica it would have torn me asunder from the inside out..._

"I see. I should have known." Jamie sat back up.

"You've been through much worse and here I am lamenting about something so small. Talking as if it's the end of the world, but death is just a part of life." Jack almost sighed at that, knowing that as far as Jamie was concerned, it might as well be the end of the world because there was so little the teen had been through; yet he'd been through a lot even so, more than most his age would for certain.

"It's okay. I understand." More then he could explain to Jamie, after all he felt so connected to Jamie... so close, closer than he'd ever been to anyone. How could he explain that to the teen before him? He'd had a brief thing with Tooth after Pitch's defeat, but that had turned into nothing but the love of a mother, North was like his father and Sandy and Bunny his older brothers... Jamie was his special friend, though Jamie didn't know how special. Yes, he was Jack's favorite, but it was more than that... more than he was allowed to really reveal even in his own mind. None of the others, least of all Jamie, suspected what was really in the winter spirit's heart and just how special he had come to be to the youngest Guardian. It was Jack's deepest secret, one the Guardian didn't even dare tell himself.


	5. Chapter 5

5 - 1

"It's almost eight, shouldn't you be going?" The question cut into Jack's thoughts.

"Eh?" The question caught him off guard and he recalled when Jamie had been younger, begging him to stay the night, to not leave him, but now...

"I thought... maybe I'd spend the night." It was more a question than a statement really, a hopeful one that seemed to be crying out for the boy he used to know.

"Not tonight Jack."

"But I... I remember when you used to.." He trailed off, Jamie had used to beg him to stay all of the time when he was younger. He'd stayed a few times, but there had been plenty of times too that he'd had to deny his friend and return to his duties or to the pole; often summoned by North because of something he'd done that was against the rules. Rules he didn't always agree with, in all truth he didn't agree with a LOT of the rules and had broke them often when it came to Jamie, but the boy had never known all the trouble that Jack had gotten into because of him, which was one reason why even as a Guardian, he was teetering between the nice and naughty list so much. Not that he intended to tell Jamie about it.

"I'm not a child anymore Jack, I need space and privacy."

"Oh, right..." Jack couldn't help feeling a little disappointed when he moved over to the window, opening it. He turned back to Jamie.

"I'll come again." Jack was suddenly caught off guard by Jamie's sudden smile that reminded him of the child he'd once been. For a moment, Jamie was that boy again as the smile graced his features as it had when he had been eight years old... It was so pure, so innocent... Jack's breath hitched in his throat as joy seemed to soar through him at seeing that smile, a smile he felt like he hadn't seen in too long. He had sorely missed that smile, he realized, as he looked at his friend. He wanted to see that smile more often and swore to himself he'd do whatever it took to see that smile more often.

"I'm glad you will. You can come back any time actually, except monday, wednesday or friday at 8 pm."

"Why?" Jack asked before he could stop himself. It seemed like an odd request.

"Geez, don't ask. I just need my space and privacy. Don't try spying on me either." Jack was a little taken aback.

"What?! Who would do that?"

"You did." Jamie said with a slight smile before waving goodbye to his friend, as Jack shifted to stand on the windowsill.

"Okay, I'll see you later then." _At least I have this time with him... it will have to be enough... for now._ Jack thought as he silently called out to the wind and flew from his friend's house.

**I have no idea how I am supposed to help Jamie, how to fix his messed up life. I'd ask Sandy, but translating what he says is a pain... and talking to Tooth is pointless in that she's so busy and Bunny... I don't even want to try that. North is out of the question... considering I've been avoiding going to the pole to avoid being scolded over all the things I've done in the last few days... I'm just thankful it isn't Bunny who has access to as much knowledge as North does. I'd have been kicked out of the Guardians in a flat minute due to all the rules I have broken, and continue to break because of Jamie. None of them could ever understand just what he means to me, they weren't alone for 300 years without someone to talk to. The only person who might understand is the very last person I want to see, especially considering he'd kill me soon as look at me and likely wouldn't be up for a friendly chat. Things are mostly still awkward between Jamie and myself, but at least Jamie is starting to laugh and smile more. It fills me with joy every time I get him to at least smile; it's taking more effort to do so, but it's worth it. Although I admit I don't always do it on purpose, this one time after he wouldn't let me see what he was working on I was on his bed just waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing and he looked over at me and started laughing. I'd thought for a moment he'd doodled on my face or something when I'd fallen asleep but that wasn't it, he'd denied it and later when I'd caught my reflection in his bedroom window - when he wasn't looking - I realized he hadn't been lying. I don't know what I could have possibly done to make him laugh, but what difference did it make? There's also times when he plays music to fill in the silence as well, which I find interesting sometimes. I've tried learning the lyrics to some, it's more work than I thought. I don't know why he won't show me his work, he used to show me everything as a kid and now... I don't know. When I've gone outside to spread snow I've found that a great deal of kids tend to like Jamie - outside of school that is. That they admire him really, including many he's helped these last several years. Even so, it seems like the voices of doubt against him are even louder than those that champion him... it's discouraging at times. I can't help but think that if I'd been around more, broken more rules to be with him that he wouldn't be like this now. **

_Hmmm, it's been two days since I last saw Jamie... _ Jack thought as he flew over to Jamie's window. He blinked when he saw the note stuck to it, grabbing it he stalked over to where Jamie was calmly reading a book on his bed, stretched out.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Jamie looked up at the note that read: The behavior of following and watching without showing yourself is considered spying you stalker.

Jamie shrugged.

"Isn't it true? I gave you permission to come and go as you like, except at eight pm on monday, wednesday and friday but all you do is spy on me through that window and turn tail."

"What?! How could you know that? What evidence is there?"

"How about the frost on the window that follows you around?" Jamie countered calmly.

"Jerk." Jack said, realizing he was so busted and couldn't come up with anything else. His curiosity had really gotten the better of him, but during those times he'd honestly not seen Jamie. So it wasn't like there was anything to see on those nights, it had gotten him curious but he hadn't pressed his luck to ask where and what Jamie was doing.

"Jackass." Jamie countered, confusing him.

"M-my ...?" Jamie saw his expression and suddenly started to laugh.

"Oops..." He managed before laughing harder at the blatant misunderstanding. Jack just stared at him in shock for a moment before smiling a bit, glad that Jamie apparently thought it was a good joke even if he didn't get it.

"I'm sorry, I know we can't go back to what was, you said so yourself. To me, though, you're that Jamie and always will be. Even if you get on my nerves some time." Boy did he, particularly since he wouldn't tell Jack anything; that annoyed the winter spirit to no end especially since he only wanted to help. Jamie smiled.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you when I first met you this winter. I should have known how much work it takes to be a Guardian and been more understanding. Not to mention that for 300 year you were just all about fun and snowballs and now you have duties. It has to be tough." _You don't know the half of it kiddo... but it is. I can barely make time to see you as it is, but... I found I wanted to become a Guardian because of you, because you gave me something that year that I had never really thought I needed back then and not just someone who would believe in me.. So when you're lost or feeling alone... I'm willing to always put everything aside for you, to be with you... I know I let you down before... but I'm going to do my best to make up for it. I swear I will... somehow. _

"Hey, since I'm going to be working most of the day, why don't you spend some time with Sophie? She should be getting out of school soon." Jack didn't want to leave but he nodded anyway, a small smile on his face. It had been a while since he'd seen Jamie's sister.

"Sure thing." He left Jamie to his work and soared to the school he knew Sophie would be at. He saw several children outside looking up at the snow he'd created earlier that morning and was still lightly falling. Sophie looked up and gave him the biggest smile.

"Jack!" She called, waving and he swooped down to greet her with a smile.

"Hey Sophie, not going home yet are you?"

"Usually Jamie comes to pick me up at four, but classes got out early today."

"How about I take you home instead?" Her eyes grew wide with excitement.

"You'd do that? Thanks!" Jack held her hand happily, but that content feeling of being with Sophie faded when he heard a shout from Jamie's house when they had drawn near.

"Am I not going enough for you?! Leave Sophie out of this, she's only 10! I'll go get her and take her to Pippa's like usual." Jamie emerged from the house moments later, blinking when he stopped in the middle of the yard, seeing Sophie and Jack looking at him from the yard entrance.

"Jamie? What's wrong?" Jack felt uneasiness settle into his gut.

"Brother?" Sophie looked at him, becoming unhappy as she saw Jamie wasn't happy.

"You brought her home? Thanks, you should go now." Jamie said after a moment, before Jack could think to say anything he heard another voice.

"Jamie. Were you talking to Jack Frost again?" It was Jamie's mother, she was standing on the porch.

"And Sophie too?" Jack was confused, but even so he suddenly felt that something was wrong, something that Jamie had been hiding from him.

5 - 2

**Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 2 pm - 4 pm now I was also to leave him be. Jamie had been hiding this from me and from his younger sister. Even when he had told me to go, I still followed him. Now I hesitated, finding myself standing in front of the local counseling center. This was it, this was the big secret. I couldn't just leave him like that, he didn't look fine. I knew that Jamie would be furious if he caught me, but I still had to come... I just would have to be extra careful so that he wouldn't notice I had followed him. He and his mother had left me just standing in the yard after he'd come back from taking Sophie over to Pippa's for the afternoon.**

Jack stood near a window, he had peered through several before he'd found the right one and he'd been very cautious to peer around the corner to make sure he wasn't seen. He'd had to go through three windows around the building before he'd found the right room. He could faintly make out what was being said. It was difficult though since most of the walls were meant to be soundproof, but soundproof to a human wasn't the same as soundproof to a Guardian. After all, Jack had to be able to hear Jamie's call no matter where he was, he could automatically adjust his hearing for anything; it was just more "magic" that he'd discovered while fooling around in his earlier years when he'd still been learning how to control his powers.

"How has your day been Jamie?" The counselor asked, he was an older gentleman, looked like he was close to his fifties.

"Pretty normal, did doodlings and sketches like normal."

"Is Jack Frost still talking to you?"

"Almost every day." He replied with a slight smile.

"What did you boys do when he visited last?"

"Well, I was on a deadline with my homework so he just slept while I work-" Jamie paused as he swore he saw something out the window. Jack hunkered down, hoping against hope that...

"Jack?!" _Uh oh... _ Jack shifted to move away from the window, but Jamie had been quicker, throwing open the window and yanking him inside by his hoodie. _Eeeep! _There was no doubt in his mind he was in trouble.

"Seriously?" Jamie said as he yanked the winter spirit inside and shut the window, most of the way, releasing the hoodie. Jack tumbled to the floor between the counselor's chair and the couch Jamie had been sitting on.

"H-how did you know? I... I was controlling my frost-" Jack began, recoiling a little from the anger he saw in Jamie's expression.

"That's not important. You followed me, what the bloody he-"

"I'm sorry! I just couldn't leave you like that!" Jack blurted out.

"I'm so sorry! I'm just worried about you!" The anger seemed to seep out of Jamie then as Jack sat there, looking a little pitiful and he seemed sincere as well. Withholding a sigh, Jamie knelt before him.

"It's okay. I'll let it slide this time but don't think it means I forgive you. You invaded my privacy after all." He cuffed Jack in the jaw just enough to sting. Jack got the point, wincing a little. He wasn't about to do a repeat performance if it meant making Jamie this mad at him...

"Ummm..." The sound of the counselor's voice made them both turn and Jamie realized he'd forgotten he wasn't the only one in the room.

"Oh... right." He stood up.

"Jack you should-" He cut off when he felt Jack's hand in his own, a serious expression on the Guardian's face as he stood.

"I'm here for you Jamie."

"So... I assume Jack Frost is here?" The elder man said once Jamie had sat back down, Jack had contented himself with sitting next to Jamie on the armrest at Jamie's left.

"Yes, right next to me." Jack hadn't let go of Jamie's hand, he didn't want Jamie to think he was going anywhere. He had said he would be here for Jamie and he meant it.

"You once told me that Jack Frost first made snow in your room, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Excuse me a moment." The counselor left only to return with Jamie's mother in tow.

"Make it snow in this room then and things will be easier. For all of us." Jack grinned, he could do that.

"Sweet, they'll see how wrong they are in putting you here Jamie." Jack said, he had begun to make a snowflake but Jamie's hand settled on the one that held the staff.

"Jamie?"

"It's okay, you don't have to." He turned from Jack, not relinquishing his hold on the spirit.

"All you have to do to see him is believe, then you'll see him right next to me." There was a moment of silence from them both. Jamie didn't seem surprised.

"Apparently you have no faith in him. We don't have to prove anything."

"But Jamie-" Jack began, only to stop when Jamie turned to him.

"It's okay Jack. You said so yourself. I don't have to worry about the non-believers, right?" He pulled Jack's hand to his lips lightly. Jack stared, surprised his own words were being tossed back at him, and so gently, as he was at the gesture. The sensation of Jamie's lips against his fingers was a totally new sensation to him that left him speechless and baffled.

"As long as I have you by my side, it will be okay." The counselor just watched the boy who seemed to be quietly reassuring the air next to him.

5 - 3

Jack alighted at the open window, a little surprised when he noticed that Jamie was dressed rather warmly. He smiled a little.

"I knew you'd come. Could you take me somewhere please? Anywhere." Jack nodded thoughtfully, thinking about where they could go as he offered his hand to Jamie. After some consideration he took Jamie to a tree on the other side of his lake, it was peaceful and the snow he'd summoned was falling slowly. He set Jamie down, watching the teen as he hovered near the tree. Jamie seemed to tilt his head back after a moment and started catching snowflakes in his mouth. Something he hadn't done in a while. _He's... eating snow? _Jack wondered at the unusual behavior, watching Jamie with concern. Jamie noticed the look and gave him a small smile.

"Hey, don't look so worried." _How can I not? Your mom sent you to that place and your friends... they've all seemed to have turned on you... it's my fault... I... I did this to you... I..._

"Is it... because of me... Jamie?" Jack asked, scared of the answer, but he felt he needed to ask anyway.

"Eh?"

" I... I made you believe. I put you through this..." Jamie seemed shocked for a moment, he closed his eyes and his shock wore off only to be replaced by something else that Jack couldn't really read.

"I ... did this..." Jamie stared at him a moment as he considered what he should say.

"Yeah. Yeah you did, but I don't regret it. I figure I'm lucky to have meet you and still be seeing you." Jack was stunned to silence as Jamie walked back over to him. He lightly touched Jack's cheek with one hand briefly, meaning the gesture to be one of comfort as he continued.

"The Guardians gave me hopes and dreams. Most of all you, who gave me belief for a lifetime. People see me as a freak, as crazy, but I'd rather they think so than be someone who questions someone else's beliefs just because I don't believe myself." Jack didn't say anything and so Jamie went on.

"Jack, my mom put me in those sessions because I was unstable and got into fights a lot. Not everything is because of you. Don't even think that for a moment. I'm sorry about my mom."

"Jamie... I..." Jack wasn't sure what to say exactly. There was so much he still needed to learn about his friend and he was reminded that part of it was because he hadn't really been there to see this happen. To see Jamie become who he was, but at least Jamie seemed calmer and happier when he was around.

"What can I do to help?" Jack asked finally.

"Don't worry about it."

"But Jamie..."

"Look, in another year I'm going to graduate and this will be behind me. I don't want you spying on me anymore either. Don't think about doing something crazy either or I'll really get mad." Jack felt thoroughly admonished though he wanted to help.

"Jack, all I need is you by my side and I'll be fine." Jack wasn't sure he bought that, but what else could he say? Jamie was obviously going to be stubborn about this. Making excuses about making more snow, Jack left Jamie to see if he could learn more about the teen from his friends. He was watching the three girls from a tree in a Christmas Tree lot when he heard a familiar voice pipe up.

"Jack!" It was Sophie. _Dang it... why does this family have to have such sharp eyes? _

"What?!" It was Pippa and Cupcake who were with her, the two girls spoke at once.

"Where?" Pippa and Cupcake asked as Jack floated down to the three girls, feeling a little sad that the girls obviously couldn't him, but it wasn't so unusual for their age. Sophie obviously still could see him though. After a moment the two gave up with heavy sighs, realizing that they couldn't see him because they had lost too much of their belief.

"Man... we really can't see him." Pippa said, discouraged.

"Hi." Jack said to the two.

"Yeah... but if you concentrate you can still hear him." _Oh boy... well, that might make this easier, even if they can't see me._

"I thought you girls forgot about me."

"I think I hear him... I'm not sure." Pippa said.

"Jack said he thought you forgot about him." Sophie said, acting as a go-between.

"Forgot?" Both said at once.

"How could we forget about you and the other Guardians?" Cupcake asked as they found a bench nearby to sit on.

"We will always believe in the Guardians." Pippa replied.

"But the thing is... we can't see you anymore." Cupcake said, sounding dejected.

"That's normal for grown ups." Jack assured them.

"Isn't it weird? My brother still sees Jack." Sophie piped up.

"He does? Well, I guess that's to be expected as he was the first to believe." Pippa said thoughtfully.

"You guys are connected, it'd be weird if he couldn't see you." Jack blinked a little at that, connected? Did she mean as in friends?

"Jack looks like he needs an explanation." Sophie chimed in.

"Sophie..." Jack said, a little embarrassed. Pippa didn't seem to mind though as she answered.

"It's been eight years, but he keeps talking about you and the other Guardians. Especially you. Despite the fact that time has progressed, to Jamie it seems like it was just yesterday that we all got to meet the Guardians." _Jamie still talks ... about me?_ Jack wondered at that.

"Even when bad things happened... he's never stopped believing."

"I'm sorry about Monty. Are you girls okay?" Jack had gotten used to Sophie speaking for him, echoing all of his words to the girls now when they didn't seem to understand. It had been weird at first, but it was obviously the only way he could talk with them.

"We're okay, we're just worried about Jamie." Pippa said and Cupcake nodded, before adding.

"He's all alone now."

"You are still friends with Jamie aren't you? And the twins? Then why?"

"Well, he's the one who has been avoiding us. You've visited Jamie, right?" Pippa asked, wanting to be sure before she went on.

"Yes."

"Didn't he tell you why he was alone?" Cupcake asked.

"Well... he told me about Monty and his fights at school and being suspended... but I can tell he's hiding something from me... You girls know, don't you?" It was more of a statement than a question. _I'm sorry about this Jamie, but if you won't talk to me and don't want me spying... what other choice do I have?_

"Please, tell me!" The two girls looked at one another. It seemed they did know something, but they weren't sure if they should actually say it.


	6. Chapter 6

6 - 1

**Cupcake was the one who told me, in the end; neither seemed to think they should but I had insisted. Even after Jamie had beaten up the boys who had picked on Pippa, things had gone from bad to worse. When the lead boy had gotten out of the hospital the principal had gathered both groups together to apologize to one another for the incident at the camp. The ringleader of the group apologized as if he was sincere, but then had turned around saying that Jamie and the others not only needed to apologize, but admit that we - the Guardians - weren't real. The boy admitted to being satisfied if Jamie was the only one to admit it. Jamie hadn't been able to stand for it, for the way the boy had sneered at him, egging him to admit defeat and to give into their pressure. Saying that we weren't real or that we should have saved Monty if we had been real... they had wanted him to admit it. For Jamie to admit that he was wrong but it had only served to send him into a rage. It was because he'd showed hostility towards the other group in front of the principal, even though the others had held him back from harming the boys, that had been the actual reason he'd gotten suspended from school. Jamie took all the blame himself; the principal had thought they were in the wrong, siding with the bullies who were - as it turned out - related to the principal, or rather the leader of the group of boys was. The boys hadn't bothered the others since that day, but Jamie wasn't at school the next day after the incident. Jamie had been the group's target the whole time... at least as far as they could tell and said they believed it was because out of all of them Jamie had the strongest belief; for whatever reason, Jamie had brushed them off when they had visited him at his house and hadn't returned any of their calls. It wasn't hard for me to believe that this had happened; Jamie had always been my best believer and it pained me that with him being so I had indirectly caused him so much pain, but I wasn't sure why he'd brushed his friends off like he had. Being alone, going through the loss of a close friend, he hadn't been okay and people around town had started treating him differently because his name had appeared in the paper next to "beating" in the headlines. According to them, Jamie had changed drastically when they'd seen him a month later; he'd been so cold and distant with even them. Jamie had disconnected himself from his friends, but even though it had been a while since he'd contacted them for any reason, he'd always stepped up to protect them against any threat, especially after Monty's death. I wasn't sure what shocked me more about this story, the grave injustice Jamie had suffered, or when Cupcake had told me that Jamie had faced the group on his own despite her offer to help him "teach them a lesson" after the funeral. The description she gave of when he came back... I was beyond horrified. Jamie had been bloody and he'd had broken bones in both hands, it was a miracle he could still draw after that. What probably hurt the most though was the sense of failure that I felt when Sophie told me how Jamie had cried, and not just tears, but had called out for me and I... I had never responded. I had never heard his call... no, that wasn't true. I had heard, but... I'd ignored it because of my own fears and insecurities about what I had felt, what I knew couldn't ever be. I had thought that I was doing what was right for my friend and now I could see how wrong it was of me to think that doing what North had said was the right thing had actually turned out to be so wrong... I knew then that I had much to atone for. I owed the boy so much now, not just for what he'd done for us at Easter, but for all the times he'd called out to me and I had failed to keep my promise to come when he called... **

"Jamie won't be happy we told you all this." Pippa said, concern etched into her features. Cupcake nodded. Jack couldn't be happier that they couldn't see him at that moment, that Sophie was distracted by a snowflake I sent her way as he'd no doubt that... for that moment in time his emotions were warring in his eyes. The guilt he felt and sorrow for what he hadn't had the courage to do. For listening to North instead of defying him and going to the boy when he had called out in the night... It had been heart wrenching enough, hearing the boy call him, now he felt like someone had pulled his heart out of his chest, keeping it connected to his nerves as they carved out chunks with a hot knife.

"He cares a lot about your feelings, so don't feel bad. We thought that you should know though since we believe you're the best one to help him. Will you help Jamie, Jack? Please..."

Jack gripped his staff tighter. There was no way he couldn't feel bad about this, despite what she said. How could he not? Jamie had needed him, had called out for him again and again, and he... he had failed to come. He had let his fears, his own doubts get in the way of helping Jamie and there was no soothing that kind of regret, that sort of guilt that was plaguing him but he managed to hide it now if only barely. He would do whatever it took now to make sure that he didn't fail Jamie again. Jamie had been there for him when he had needed it, now it was time he stopped running and did the same or he had no right to call the teen his friend. Had no right to the feelings he wished Jamie would return... He shoved aside his feelings, as he'd been doing many times before now. No more running, it was time he faced this head on, just as Jamie had faced down Pitch and his Nightmares with the Guardians those years ago. Jamie had been brave, now he needed to show the boy he could be brave as well. That he was worthy of the teen's friendship... and maybe more.

"I will help him. You can be sure I'll do anything and everything I can." There was no hesitation in his answer. _I failed him before... but I won't do so again. Even if it means he gets mad at me... Even if North finally thinks I've broken too many rules to continue being a Guardian... I can't just sit back anymore while he suffers. _Jack glanced at the girls, determination in his eyes now. _Jamie... he might be different on the surface but deep down he really hasn't changed at all. I've made mortals pay dearly for what they've done before... I've killed before... I can do so again. For Jamie._ Jack gripped his staff with determination. He had rarely had cause to actually kill. Most of the time in the past it had either to do with being called or because it was an accident. One time it was simply out of pure rage and frustration that those around him couldn't see him. He'd been angry at the moon for not talking to him and had taken it out on the innocent mortals, in the desperate hope that he'd get _some_ kind of answer, but the moon had still been silent even as those the Guardians had swore to protect had been swallowed by his snow. Now though... he would make good use of the "curse" that was his power to strike at the mortals, the power he had feared to show. He was set on making things right for his friend, his brother. He would make up for all those years he had not been there for Jamie, for every time the teen had called and he had not come... he gripped his staff tightly. He wasn't sure how was going to do it exactly, but he was determined to do anything and everything, no matter what it meant. Somehow... he was going to make this up to him.

6 - 2

"Hey Jamie! How are things?" Jack asked as he climbed in the window as usual. He'd had a busy morning, not just this morning either; he'd been away for at least four days after having figured out everything.

"There you are, meddler." Jack gave him a puzzled look.

"What? I just arrived and already you're picking on me?"

"You were causing trouble." Jamie held up a paper that had the headliner:

Bullies Taught Lesson By Vengeful Winter Spirit

_What the... it's in the paper?!_ Jack hadn't expected that, besides weren't most people here skeptical about his existence anyway? Who the heck had believed those kids' story?

"Um... that..." Jack began, wondering what exactly he should say on the matter. He hadn't really done it on a weekday, although he could have. That had been the first thing he'd done in terms of payback for what they had done to his friend. Plus, it hadn't been quite as bad as he'd been planning it out. He'd been really ticked when he'd first planned it, but he hadn't really taken all of his anger out on the bullies like he'd originally planned.

"What were you thinking pulling a stunt like that?! Didn't I tell you not to do something crazy? I'm not a child anymore!" He smacked Jack on the head with the paper for emphasis, not really hard though, just enough to make a point; instead of the reaction he'd expected of the winter spirit, which he expected Jack to be sorry, anger flashed suddenly in the winter spirit's eyes instead as he said with such force that Jamie retreated a step in utter shock.

"Stop taking things out on me you disrespectful child! You never told me a thing because you were worried about how I'd feel! Has it ever occurred to you how I feel seeing you like this?! Do you honestly think I would just sit back while you _suffer_ because of _me_?! What about you helping your friends, Jamie? What makes this so different? Why do you have to make it wrong when I just want to help you?!" Jamie stared, dumbfounded at his friend as he listened. He hadn't expected that Jack would be angry about this of all things and he'd only seen Jack angry once before, and it hadn't been aimed at him. He had to admit it was a little scary because he knew it took quite a bit to make Jack angry...

"Unless... you don't think of me as your friend." Jack said a bit hesitantly, his anger washing away in an instant. Jamie felt a small jolt of guilt at seeing the sad hope in Jack's eyes that had replaced the anger and he felt his insides twist a little. How could Jack ever think that?

"I do." He was hesitant before he went on. He felt a little guilty that he hadn't thought about Jack's feelings about how he was now. He'd been selfish, he realized, though he'd thought he was doing all this to protect his friends he began to see that maybe what he'd really done had been the exact opposite of what he'd intended to do.

"I did enjoy learning how their sorry butts were whooped... I mean, you froze them in their houses and spooked them like some vengeful ghost." Jack couldn't help but laugh at the description. That was exactly what he'd done, more or less; he'd made sure that the bullies he'd gone after not only knew to stay away from Jamie, but had made sure they'd been too scared to ever pick on anyone in Burgess ever again.

"That's what I like to hear!" Jack's hand tightened on his staff though, murmuring the next words quietly.

"At least I let them live." He had seriously thought about doing worse, but somehow had managed to keep that impulse at bay if only because of Jamie, because he hadn't wanted Jamie to think that he was a murderer. He didn't want to think of what Jamie would have thought of him had he decided to take that step... to take things that far... Jack shook away the thoughts mentally.

He was a Guardian after all and he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he had purposely killed someone out of vengeance, North and the others... well he didn't want to think about what they'd say or think of him then. Even if he didn't admit it, he was more worried about what Jamie would think than of what his fellow Guardians would; they'd had centuries to figure out how to deal with such news, but not Jamie. The boy would never understand... Jack pushed the thought aside. He didn't want the Guardians to know about that side of him any more than he wanted Jamie to know about it; the side that only Sandy really knew about, knew existed, and had helped him with what seemed like lifetimes ago.

"Eh?" Jamie asked, not quite catching it.

"Nothing." Jack said, his smile not wavering. He wasn't ready to share that side of himself with Jamie yet. He knew he couldn't keep it a secret forever, but he also feared revealing it. For both their sakes, he hoped to keep it a secret from the boy for as long as he could.

"Anyway, I'm coming with you to today's session."

"No, you won't."

"But I will." Jack insisted.

"No." Jamie looked irritated, but in the end Jack had still followed and was relaxing lazily on his back, floating behind both Jamie and his mother, the counselor was dressed rather warmly and Jamie had a feeling he knew why.

"Greetings Mrs. Bennett, Jamie." Jamie glanced at Jack, certain that the 23 degree temperature in the room - according to a nearby thermometer, was his doing, though Jack wasn't looking at him; he was humming to himself as if he was perfectly innocent.

"I've come to the conclusion recently that Jamie no longer needs to be here."

"What?! What do you mean?" It was Jamie's mother who had spoken, Jamie seemed surprised, but stayed silent.

"Just as I said Mrs. Bennett. I'm actually on leave today because I caught a cold, but I wanted to tell you personally that it was a mistake putting Jamie in this session." Jack just smiled as he listened, staying where he was.

"Eh? What are you talking about counselor?"

"Your son, Mrs. Bennett, what makes him different is that he's a believer, and a very special one at that." Neither Jamie nor his mother seemed to believe what they were hearing. Jack couldn't help the smile that tugged on his lips, the counselor couldn't be more right. Jamie was definitely special among his believers. More so than Jack could ever hope to admit to anyone living.

"But... then how?" His mother stumbled and Jack had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

"I've thought this over until I was certain of it. I was wrong to accept Jamie's case."

"You mean..."

"Yes, Mrs. Bennett. Because Jack Frost really does exist, I can assure you of that." Jack settled next to Jamie, smiling a bit triumphantly as he put an arm around Jamie who was just staring in shock at what he was hearing.

"You should consider yourself lucky for having a Guardian watching over your son. I will end this case and do _everything_ in my power to make sure Jamie never has to go through this again." When the group was back in the reception area, Jamie approached the counselor.

"What's the meaning of this doc?" He wasn't sure he really understood what had just happened. The man smiled. Jack twirled his staff as he lazily walked about the room.

"You might want to ask your white-haired friend." Shock spread across Jamie's features again.

"You can see him?!"

"White tuft of hair... nothing more... shame really, I used to be such a firm believer myself when I was younger." He replied with a bit of a smile before it faded and his expression became serious again.

"Jamie, you're not like other kids I've dealt with. Remember you're not alone. Don't ever let anyone change you in a way you don't want. I believe that you're the only one who can truly stay strong in a world that is so lacking in faith these days." The counselor left then while Jamie could only stare after the man, wondering what exactly had happened, but at the same time his suspicions began to rise.

"Hey mom, can you go on ahead? I want to walk a little in the snow, clear my head some."

"Sure hun. Just don't take too long." Jamie nodded as he stepped outside of the clinic. He waited until she drove away before glancing around, no one else was around.

"Jack!" _Oh boy... here it comes._ Jack knew Jamie would be mad at him for this, but Jamie didn't have time to say anything more as his phone began ringing. He flipped it open to see that it was Pippa who was calling him. _I haven't talked to her in months..._ He thought.

"Pick it up Jamie." Jack said, trying not to sound too excited; he knew what this was about, but he wasn't about to spoil the surprise. Jamie frowned at Jack.

"Trying to put off my scolding of you?"

"Ha ha... seriously, pick it up. It ought to be good news." Jamie almost sighed and answered the phone.

"Hey Pippa."

"Jamie! Thank goodness you picked up! Listen, Jamie, tomorrow you should come to school!"

"Huh? The suspension has only been two months."

"The principal ousted your suspension time! He called your house!"

"Eh? Why am I the last to hear?"

"You aren't at home yet. Check your voice message. Anyway Cupcake, Claude, Caleb and I tried to convince the principal alone but it didn't work out well. So we asked others at school to help us; those people you helped before... Word about you was spread and even other people in town wanted to help you!" Jamie could only listen in stunned silence as his friend went on.

"We tried gathering here at school, but kids were still afraid of the bullies, but after what happened here that recently made the bullies victims of fear themselves everyone was less afraid and we all gathered to convince the principal. Jamie... it's Jack Frost isn't it? He's the one who whooped their butts!" Jack couldn't help the smile as he watched Jamie, Pippa was talking so loud that even he could hear her. He hadn't really done too much himself aside from talking to Sophie, convincing a few bullies and one not-so-disbelieving counselor...

"Even better, the bullies are leaving town! After listening to all of us the principal said himself that he feels ashamed of their behavior! They're going to a rehabilitation center!" Silence. Jamie had no idea what to say to that sort of news.

"Jame? Are you still there?"

"Um... yeah..."

"You're an idiot, you know that? Think that you're alone in this? Think you're the only one who can save his friends? Now I want to see you at school tomorrow! Alright?"

"Oh... Okay, I'll be there." Jamie managed, still shocked and confused even as he ended the call.

"Jack."

"Good news wasn't it? I heard." He watched as Jamie began to shake a little, Jack blinked in confusion. Was Jamie mad because Jack had meddled or was it because he was touched by his friends' actions? Jack fell over in relief when Jamie let out a whoop.

"Finally! This shit has come to a stop!"

"Jamie... language!" Jack said as he leaned against his staff, after a moment he floated on top of it as Jamie continued to celebrate, cursing more in his excitement. _Oh well... at least he's happy... and he's forgotten about scolding me._ Jack couldn't feel happier, watching his friend; he should have done all this years ago... well, it didn't matter now. Things had been set right, he wasn't going to let anyone ever pick on Jamie again or even consider the notion that his friend was crazy; rules his butt. He'd deal with the consequences of his actions later, he didn't care; all that mattered was that Jamie was happy. It seemed like so long since he'd seen the teen this openly happy about anything, he wanted to make sure that there would be more times in the future that his friend, brother, could express himself like he was now; to be the child that Jack knew was still inside.

6 - 3

Jack watched as Jamie hummed happily, he'd brought him to Antarctica to get a view of the northern lights; the naturally occuring ones. It was one of his favorite things and he'd wanted to share it with Jamie as a way of celebrating the teen being able to return to school the next day. The boy seemed perfectly happy, humming one of his favorite tunes as the two of them studied the colorful lights in the night sky. Jamie glanced over towards the cliff that Jack had flown him up to. They weren't near the edge, but as Jamie looked at the cliff, humming softly, an idea began to form in the teenager's mind. He wasn't sure why he felt he needed to do this but he began carefully picking his way towards the edge.

"Jamie, not too close to the edge now." Jack warned, watching him. Of course Jack wasn't about to let him fall, but the danger of falling was still there. Jamie just continued to hum as he stepped around a sharp point on the glacier and moved to the edge. Alarm rippled through the Guardian and he leapt forward without hesitation when Jamie slipped and went right over the edge of the cliff. Jack didn't cry out, his heart had leapt into his throat and nearly out of his mouth when he'd seen Jamie fall, forestalling any sound, and he pushed himself to fall faster, catching the teen and landing them both softly on the ground if not gracefully.

"Wow... that was a lot scarier than I thought." Jack stared in shock. Jamie had...

"I knew you'd catch me when I -" Jack slapped him for that, how dare he?!

"fell." Jamie completed.

"Don't ever screw around like that! You scared me half to death Jamie!" Jamie stared at Jack in shock.

"Don't EVER do that again! Do you hear me?!"

"Scared that much? That I'd fall?"

"You brat! You're still -" He was cut off when Jamie closed the distance between them, pulling Jack close to him as his lips meet Jack's ice cold ones. Jack froze in shock, but he didn't pull away from the kiss. He wasn't sure what to think, any thought he'd had... had deserted him the moment Jamie's lips had touched his. He'd always feared that his lips would give Jamie frostbite or something, but he couldn't deny that the warmth of Jamie's lips against his own was more pleasurable than he had even imagined it might be. When Jamie drew back, all Jack could do was stare. Not wanting Jack to take it wrong, he began to stutter a little; blurting out the first excuse he could think of when he'd realized the kiss had sent his friend into shock. He had to say something that would reassure Jack...

"I-it was a thank you kiss... for ... getting me out of this mess." Jack just stared, still not sure what to think now. He'd never been expecting anything like that, especially not from Jamie.

"Um, maybe we should go back to my house." Jack nodded in silent agreement. When they got back to Jamie's room, however, there was a rather awkward silence. _Geez... that was such a lame excuse. I'm surprised he bought it._ Jamie thought to himself as he sat on his bed. Jack wasn't looking at him, he couldn't. All he could do was replay the event in his mind. Jamie had deliberately walked to the edge to fall... and then after Jack had berated him harshly, had kissed him. HIM. He couldn't wrap his mind around it, around the fact that it had happened. _I don't think I can take this awkwardness for much longer._ Jamie thought and got to his feet.

"Jamie?" He hoped Jamie was okay with this, considering things had been so awkward between them since they'd gotten back. The feelings the boy had stirred up were ones that he wasn't sure he could feel... That he hadn't truly thought about for years...

"I'm going to take a shower. I'll be right back." Jamie said, not really looking at Jack. He considered carefully what he was about to do when he left.

Jack had taken his place on the bed and was sitting there crosslegged when Jamie returned.

"Jack." Jack turned, his eyes widened a little and he floated off the bed and over to Jamie.

"You... took off your contact lenses!"

"Um, yeah." Jack leaned closer, one hand brushing Jamie's wet hair.

"I like it this way... much more." He smiled, but the smile became alarm when their noses touched and Jack jolted back as if burned. That had been too close.

"As for my hair... I'll have to grow it longer and you know..."

"Okay..." Neither looked at one another now. The awkwardness was back again. Jamie looked down at the contact lenses that were in a small case made for them.

"You know, these lenses will last another two weeks, which would be about when winter will be over; if you stay with me until then I won't wear them."

"No smoking or cursing either."

"Geez... give you an inch you take a yard?" Jamie considered it for only a moment before he gathered up the items and tossed them into the trash. He turned to Jack with a small smile.

"Anything for you Snowflake." Jack was puzzled about that. _From frostbite to snowflake? _He wasn't sure why the change, but he found he didn't mind it one bit and smiled back.

"Deal!" He was looking forward to this, though he didn't say so.

"So, what else should we do?" Jack asked after a moment.

"Ever seen this movie?" Jamie asked, holding up a movie that he'd rented recently. It was entitled Jack Frost and had a snowman on the cover. Jack gave him a funny look.

"I've heard about it, but I can't say I've actually seen it."

"Really? I'd have thought you'd have seen any movie with your name sake." Jack shook his head.

"I know I've had some free time since before I became a Guardian but honestly I haven't spent a whole lot of time watching such things because I was lonely and a lot of movies tend to have families in them and well..."

"Hmm, well, this one isn't like that. Promise, it's actually about a guy who becomes a snowman after he is killed in an accident. He's the main character and it's not a family movie, trust me on this."

"Alright. I guess I will watch it with you then."

"Um, one question though."

"Hmmm?"

"You're not squeamish are you?"

"Squeamish?"

"Er... you don't get sick or anything if there's violence, blood... adult stuff..." Jack chuckled a little.

"Nah, I've been around. I think I could stomach a bit."

"Okay, just wanted to make sure 'cause it's from a while back and... well, some of the stuff nowadays is kind of violent." Jack settled down on Jamie's bed.

"Just put it in." Jack really just wanted something else to focus on. Jamie nodded and put the dvd into his computer, shifting it around so they could both see it before he settled on the floor after setting it to play. An hour and a half later Jack wondered why he'd agreed to this, sure he wasn't squeamish - like he'd said to Jamie, but that didn't mean he'd enjoyed a movie of his namesake in which the main character had been a serial killer!

Well, he couldn't complain too much, he had said he'd watch it and he really wasn't much for movies that had to deal with families... which was most movies nowadays really.

"I don't think I want to watch that one again." Jack said in reply to Jamie's question of what he thought about the movie.

"I guess I can't blame you. I think it could have been better, but then again it was made in the late 90s. I think you might like this next one better." Jack said nothing as Jamie stuck in Transformers. He had to admit that it was a lot better than the horror movie with his name. He'd enjoyed it though he had blushed a little when he'd seen the main character get a kiss because it had reminded him of the kiss the two of them had shared at Antarctica. He wasn't sure if Jamie felt the same or what exactly it was that Jamie felt.

"I'm going to make some hot coco, want some?" He asked Jamie, who was pulling the movie out of his computer.

"Sure." Jamie didn't turn around so Jack didn't see his face but maybe that was for the best because it meant that he didn't see the blush on Jack's face as the winter spirit beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen to try and get himself under control again.


	7. Chapter 7

7 - 1

"Jamie, don't hide." Jack said, tugging back the hood of the navy blue hoodie that he'd chosen for his first day back at school.

"I'm here, I won't let anyone bother you." Jamie smiled at the reassurance. _I know... otherwise I would have turned tail and run._ He didn't really want to be here, but Jack had insisted and he really did want his life to return to normal... sadly that included going to school.

"Jamie! Finally you came to school!" Before Jamie knew what hit him he'd been glomped by Caleb and then Claude, nearly knocking him over. Jack just watched as the rest of Jamie's friends gathered around him happily.

"Welcome back Jamie." Cupcake said with a smile. Pippa was right behind her.

"Pippa! Cupcake!"

"Jamie!" Jack was a little confused at first when he heard the voice. Then he saw her, she was all grown up, her blonde hair no longer bound by a ponytail. Amber had grown up and she was pretty. Following that were several other people who called happily and gathered around the friends, all of them people that Jamie had helped at one time or another. They were very happy to see him back. Jack hovered safely over the crowd.

"See? Nothing to worry about. I wouldn't worry if I left you here with all your friends."

"Ah Ja-" Jack forestalled the rest of the word by covering Jamie's lips with his fingers as he met Jamie's gaze.

"It's alright. You don't have to say anything. I'll see you after school, alright?" Jamie just stared up at him, surprised. Jack smiled and took off, leaving Jamie behind to deal with the day. He managed, somehow, not to be swamped but before even the last class he was too dizzy from all the activity really and the attention from his friends, new and old, whom he seemed to have quite a number of now and not just those who had been with him to meet the Guardians.

"Going home already?" Pippa asked, concerned.

"Yeah... I don't think my brain can handle too much more of this for today. I'll be back tomorrow though." He said with a smile as he left the building before the next bell for class could ring. _He said he'd meet me after school..._ Jamie thought and wasn't disappointed when not quite halfway to his house Jack flew down in front of him with a grin.

"Hey full-of-friends-guy." Jamie couldn't help the smile, he was genuinely happy to see Jack.

A couple of days passed since then, Jamie was hard at work trying to keep both the online job and keep up with high school. Still he smiled when Jack dropped by, that is until one day Jack dropped in but what he saw then made him pause. Jamie was in the living room, the curtains were open, with him was the girl he'd seen before; Amber. Jack's eyes widened a little as he watched the two, Jamie was standing close to her, murmuring something that Jack couldn't make out. He didn't stick around to find out even as he heard the girl's reply, he hadn't gotten away fast enough to not hear it.

"You need to stop Jamie. Jack Frost and the Guardians aren't real. They're just fairy tales made up for children!" It stung a little, Jack flew to his lake. He wasn't sure if he should say anything to Jamie. Well, it probably wasn't his place to actually. Jamie had made up his mind to invite the girl in and into his life, who was he to protest? Jack glanced up at the fading moon. Jamie had promised he'd always believe in him, hadn't he? Well, he'd just have to pray that was enough... it would have to be enough. Jack slid down the side of a tree, wrapping his arms around his legs; dropping his staff in front of his bare feet. Jamie was like a brother to him... he tried to be happy for him, he really did... but the more he tried the more his heart hurt. He sighed. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't be hurting as long as Jamie was happy, that was what mattered didn't it? He watched the sun dip slowly towards the horizon, he wondered if the girl had left or... No, he didn't want to think about the other possibility. He knew he had to find out though and with an inward sigh he picked up his staff and got to his feet, flying back towards Jamie's house. He had a promise to keep, even if the girl was still there. Jamie was in his room, reading a book. He looked up when Jack entered and smiled.

"Hey Jack."

"Hey Jamie." Jack replied, smiling, though he didn't feel like it. Being with Jamie warmed his heart though as it always had; he pushed aside thoughts of the girl he'd seen earlier. It was hard, seeing Jamie grow up, but Jack knew he'd done his best to help Jamie have a normal life... well, as normal as was possible.

"Is something on your mind?" Jamie asked. Jack blinked then shook his head.

"Nothing important." Jamie raised an eyebrow at that and Jack shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. No matter what he thought, how he felt, he knew that he couldn't tell Jamie what was really bothering him because he'd "meddled" enough in Jamie's life as it was.

"I was thinking something Jack... and I wasn't sure if you'd agree."

"Hmmm?" Jack tilted his head curiously as Jamie put the book aside and sat up.

"I was thinking about maybe dating, but... I'm not a very good kisser." Jack wasn't sure he agreed with that, he still remembered what had happened in Antarctica the night before Jamie returned to school and finally began to get things back they way they should always have been. Well, how things should have been for the teen anyway.

"Um... okay." Where was this going?

"I was wondering... would you ... help me practice?" Jack blinked, he wasn't sure about this. He considered it a moment before nodding. He'd do anything for Jamie and if this was all he could have, well, then so be it.

"Shall we try now then? I know you've been around for a long time and I... ah... thought you might know some pointers." Jack flushed a little, both embarrassed and flattered that Jamie would think that he'd have that sort of knowledge. In truth, he couldn't remember kissing anyone other than Jamie. Not even a peck on the cheek from his mother in his human life.

"Ah... well I donno about that exactly... but I will help any way I can." Jack floated over to the bed, sitting on it with his legs crossed and Jamie shifted so that he was kneeling in front of Jack. He didn't hesitate to take Jack's head in his hands gently before pressing his lips to the cold ones. Jack had felt the same shock at first, then his eyes slowly closed as he allowed himself to sink into the kiss. _Anything for Jamie... _He thought before his thoughts all seemed to scatter as Jamie moved his lips softly against Jack's. Jack relaxed, unaware he'd been tense before. Jamie softly exhaled, his breath lightly tickling Jack's skin; the warmth of Jamie wasn't so bad as he had thought it might be. He was worried actually that his cold temperature would be hard to control so that he didn't give Jamie frostbite by accident or that Jamie's own heat would be too much for him, but as the kiss continued achingly slow Jack found either of those wasn't an issue. After what seemed like forever, Jack leaned back from the kiss. Jamie opened his eyes, meeting the blue ones steadily.

"Well?" It was only after a moment of silence that Jamie asked the question, snapping Jack's mind back to the task at hand. He struggled a little as he tried to come up with a reply of some sort for the teen; it wasn't as easy as he'd thought.

"You're actually pretty good. A natural I'd say, although..." Jamie waited to see what he would say. Jack seemed nervous, his heart was pounding faster than he liked. He didn't want Jamie to know... So he cleared his throat to get his mind off what it was producing and on to what he should be thinking about.

"Just that, I've seen deeper kisses. I don't have much experience in that area myself." His cheeks flushed a little at the admission, not to mention imagining sharing a kiss like that with Jamie...

"So, you've never really kissed a girl like they do in the movies then?" Jack shook his head.

"Not even when I was alive. I mean, married couples shared kisses back then... but they were always... what you just did. Nothing like in movies nowadays."

"Hmmmmm." It was all Jamie had to say on that score as he settled back a moment, as if deeply considering the information before leaning in close again.

"What would you suggest would be the best way to deepen a kiss? I've read a few things... but I'm not sure."

"Ah... well... t-that's a tough one honestly. I think it depends on the individual..."

"Hmmm... so maybe try this then." Jamie closed the distance between the two of them again, pressing his lips chastely against Jack's own. Jack surrendered to the light kiss again, but couldn't help the shiver that went through him when he felt Jamie's tongue slip from beneath his lips to lightly slide along his cool ones. Jack was barely aware of anything else, the new sensations surging through him; he slowly parted his own lips beneath the onslaught, he'd never felt anything like this. Jamie felt a sense of satisfaction move through him as he softly breathed in the coolness of Jack's mouth, before breathing out a bit of heat from his own into Jack. The warmth sent a sliver of delight through him and he almost... _almost_ whimpered when Jamie drew back from the kiss. Jack wanted more... so much more, but he had no way of getting it, he'd be a fool to try and deceive himself. Then he remembered that Jamie had a girlfriend now, his heart sank. Well, he would do anything to make sure Jamie was happy. He had promised himself he would make up for lost time didn't he? If this is what that meant... then so be it. Jack turned his head to cough, trying to hide the flush on his face a moment, Jamie seemed not to notice as he sat back again.

"I... I think you've got the idea. As much as I would like to stay, I've got work." Jamie didn't say anything, just watching Jack as he climbed off the bed and retrieved his staff. He went over to the window, pushing it open. He then turned, forcing himself to smile with his usual innocence, willing himself to not blush as his eyes met Jamie's again.

"See you later!" He was out the window then before Jamie could reply. Jack didn't want to leave, but he had forced himself to. Work was just an excuse because he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he'd stayed and Jamie had figured things out... figured that Jack wanted more than the boy was willing to offer. Jack headed the only place he could think of, North's. He knew North would likely scold him for all the rules he'd broken recently, but at the moment he couldn't care less. He just needed... somewhere else to be, something else to occupy his mind besides the heady kisses he'd just shared with the boy... Something else beside the desires that had been awakened. Desires he didn't really think he should be feeling for Jamie, or any mortal really.

7 - 2

Jack sat on the cliff that still held the ice sculpture that was the twisted beauty of his and Pitch's power. He gazed out at nothing, the place held memories, but not any that could intrude on his thoughts now. He gazed out at the vast wintery land before him, his thoughts only going in circles; only focused on one thing and one thing alone. He wore his hood up more than usual now; if North had noticed the other Guardian had kept silent about it. The other Guardian hadn't scolded him either. Not probing or asking any questions as time quietly slipped by and Jack did the only thing he could do to try and take his mind off things, work. Whether that meant helping North with the toys or spreading his snow across the globe. Not that it helped, there were too many memories... both good and bad with every little thing he did so he didn't linger in cities like he used to. Didn't freeze water pipes much or even leave more than a light dusting that was just enough for snowballs and snowmen. He didn't let himself be seen, didn't talk to any of the children who might be his believers. This went on for nearly two years now, which bothered North. He knew something had happened and had an idea who it involved, but he had thought if he gave the winter Guardian some space that things would sort themselves out. They hadn't. He knew how rash Jack could be at times, even if he didn't mean to be, and the winter spirit's subdued attitude wasn't like Jack at all. When he sought him out, he found him by the usual window, hood up, just staring out at the winter scene.

"Jack, didn't you go to Jamie last year?" Jack turned to glance at him before turning back to the window.

"Why should I? He's got a girlfriend now." _He doesn't need me hanging about... doesn't want..._ Jack didn't let the thought finish.

"Ha! You think Jamie's that shallow? This not like you Jack, to not trust your own beliefs. You being grouchy, from not sleeping I bet."

"Why are you bothering me? I've been doing all my work. It can't be you can hear him again, is it?"

"I am being wondering why that is happening again too. All grown up but still I hear, still wishing to see you again." Jack looked up at his friend, the one he looked up to like his father. Begging North to understand the pain he'd not voiced, the wish in his own heart that had gone unspoken.

"If talking not move you, maybe force needed." Jack blinked then gave North an irritated look.

"Yeah? Catch me if you can!"

"Who says I catch you myself?" North said with a twinkle in his eyes and Jack spun around to see two yetis behind him, one with a sack, the other holding a box and some ribbons.

"Phil?!" Jack said with some annoyance then glared at the two as they descended upon him. He tried to get away, but Phil knew all his tricks by now.

Jamie hefted one of the grocery bags to get it in a better position as he walked back home. It was early December yet, the ground was barely dusted with snow. Obviously Jack had been by, but not long enough for anything lingering. He patted Abbey's head, the old greyhound wagging her tail as he moved inside to empty his arms of his burden. He put everything away before letting Abby back into the yard. It was certainly cold enough for more snow, so why wasn't there more? Jamie pushed the thoughts out of his head and headed up the stairs to his room. He stopped short when he realized there was a big box at the foot of his bed with a ribbon around it. What the heck?

"Isn't it a little early for Christmas?" He noticed that next to the box, leaning against the bed was a hooked staff with a ribbon around it, which just confused the boy more. He moved to kneel next to the box, lifting the tag to read it: Jamie Bennett

For you with warm regards. ~ N

Jamie blinked in surprise.

"North? ... It can't be..." Feeling a sense of urgency all of the sudden, Jamie tore through the ribbons, opening the box. He wasn't sure how to react when he flung the flaps back; nestled inside like a sleeping child was Jack. He seemed to be fast asleep among the tissue paper within. Jamie just gawked for a moment. He remembered what Jack had once told him about the yetis "kidnapping" him and tossing him into a sack before tossing him into one of North's magic portals before he'd known that he'd been chosen to be a Guardian. Jamie had to admit, North had a sense for the ridiculous, but he was too overjoyed to care at that moment.

"Jack!" He pulled the Guardian to him, embracing him tightly. He'd missed him so much.

"J-Jamie?"

"Good. You finally came... You've been gone for two years again, why?! Are you that busy that you can't spare a moment for your favorite child? Or is it that I'm not anymore?" Jack was shocked at that, how could his friend ever think that Jack could replace him with someone else? That Jamie wasn't still his favorite?

"Jamie... you... you still are!" He blinked, a little dazed from all of this and a little confused. The last thing he could remember was being stuffed in the box by a yeti.

"I... Jamie... are you crying?" The fact baffled the Guardian even more.

"Ah geez... I've done it." Jamie said, trying to wipe away the tears he hadn't meant to shed.

"I haven't even seen your shadow since a year ago, I was afraid of never seeing you again... and two years ago I behaved so badly to you... I regretted so many times about not making you promise to come back." Jack instantly felt guilty. Jamie was his best friend, his brother, he didn't know Jamie had felt so strongly about this or that he would care... He pushed the thoughts aside.

"Hey, it's okay kiddo. I'm here now aren't I?" Jamie nodded a little.

"You'll stay with me... won't you?"

"Ah... well ... I..."

"Hesitation? Oh, right... you didn't come of your own free will!" Jamie seemed suddenly angry at this. Jack wasn't sure what to say, it was true that he'd been forced here, but that didn't mean he wasn't glad he was here. Jamie turned and gripped the staff that had a bow tied around it, a mischievous look crossing the young man's face.

"Without this you won't be going too far will you?"

"My staff! Jamie, hand it-"

"No." Jack reached for it, but being taller than Jack now, Jamie just held it out of Jack's reach.

"You little brat! Give that back!" Jack protested, scrambling out of the box to try and snatch his staff. He might not need it to use his powers, but it was still valuable to him.

"Hmm? Jack, when did you get so small?" The question caught Jack off guard, his frustration showing suddenly.

"Just because you grew slightly doesn't mean you should let it go to your head! Give it back!" Instead of complying, Jamie grabbed a ruler from his desk, holding it up to himself and Jack even as he held the staff out of Jack's reach.

"Huh... a whole seven inches. Slightly huh?" Jamie teased with a grin.

"I'm glad I'm taller than you." Jack snatched the ruler, rapping it on Jamie's head.

"Ow." He took the opportunity to snatch back his staff as Jamie was rubbing his head.

"You really want to beat me in height that much?!" Jamie gave Jack a strange look.

"Beat you? It's not like that at all. I wanted to be taller than you because..." He trailed off, as if he'd been about to say something, but thought better of it as he rested one hand on Jack's shoulder. He didn't think that Jack would understand his feelings, let alone accept them.

"Come on Jack, stay with me... please?" How could Jack turn him down when he was looking at Jack like that? Like he might burst into tears if Jack refused?

"Okay... truth is I do want to be with you." Jamie smiled, Jack really had missed seeing that smile. He fingered Jamie's hair, it was back to its normal color again. He couldn't put to words how happy he was or how he liked the feel of the brown strands beneath his fingers.

"Your hair is your natural color again... and you speak like you're a child again too." Jack seemed pleased with this, but Jamie on the other hand looked embarrassed; he couldn't meet Jack's gaze for a moment and moved to clean up the mess that was the wrappings Jack had come in. _Thanks North..._ Jamie thought to himself, the Guardian of Wonder really had remembered what it was that Jamie wanted most for Christmas. In all the years, since he had told North that his wish wouldn't change... it really hadn't, but now he wished it to be true more than ever. Over the years, the nature and reason for his wish had changed, even if the wish itself had not.

7 - 3

Jamie sat on the bed, his embarrassment about how he'd acted two years ago hadn't diminished in the slightest. He'd always held Jack in the highest regard, so there was every reason to regret and be embarrassed about his actions and words then.

"You used to curse every time you opened your mouth too." Jack said as he crouched on the bed next to Jamie.

"Oh stop it already Jack," He felt like his cheeks were on fire as he covered his face. There was no doubt about it, he really had been messed up two years ago... and Jack had helped change that. Things had been so bad... he really did owe Jack for what he'd done.

"I don't wanna even think about it." Jack just grinned, there was a certain pleasure he got from teasing the young man, it made him happy in a way he couldn't put to words. Jamie straightened suddenly, but his blush hadn't faded though his eyes were bright.

"Hey, I know of a few people who'd love to see you again!" Jack gave Jamie a confused look. Before he knew it, Jamie had dragged him over to the college and had pulled out his phone, sending a quick text. The two of them waited, but they didn't have to wait for long before three figures burst out the door running towards them. It was Pippa, Caleb and Cupcake.

"Hey guys! Jack's here!"

"Hey Jack!" Caleb said.

"Hi Jack!" Pippa said brightly but the three glanced around a moment before gloom seemed to settle into their features.

"Um... we can't see him." Pippa said after a moment.

"Hey, at least you can still hear me." Jack said, trying to soothe his friends. After all, the fact that they could still hear him meant that they still had some belief in him, even if it wasn't as strong as Jamie's belief or the same as when they'd been children.

"Hey! There's some other people who want to meet you too!" Jack blinked in surprise and Jamie followed the three into an a small art gallery. Jack kept close to Jamie so not to accidently be walked through as some other young people gathered around Jamie and the group instantly. Jack felt that Jamie was helping with that by keeping an arm around him.

"Jack Frost?" One young man asked as he was introduced, his name was Mark. Mark smiled a little. He had red hair and dark brown eyes that rivaled chocolate, he also had a light dusting of freckles on his face.

"It's nice to meet you, even if we can't see you. We've heard a _lot_ about you from Jamie!" Jack wondered at that. Jamie was still talking about him? To other adults? He had to admit, he was surprised by how easily all those in this room seemed to accept that he was there solely on Jamie's word and talked easily enough with him though, as Mark had said, they couldn't see him. Obviously they, like the rest of Jamie's friends, must have believed a little since they could hear him. When they left, Jack couldn't help but be in high spirits. He laughed.

"That was unbelieveable!"

"Unbelievable huh? Well that's the illustration department for you. No one here thinks I'm crazy, all of us are different from the norms in our own ways. Funny how most of us were seen as freaks in high school, but here we've found solace in like-minded people so things are pretty cool for us."

"That's great Jamie, I'm glad you're happy now." He meant it, he really did want Jamie to be happy. As long as Jamie was happy, he could be happy.

"Yeah, life's great, but I'm most happy when winter is here." Jamie said with a smile as they walked along an old trail in the forest that held memories for Jack as well as Jamie. Jamie stopped a moment, his hand resting on Jack's cheek. Jack's eyes widened a little as Jamie drew close.

"Jack... I've noticed this for a while now, but your eyes... haven't you been getting enough sleep?" Jack relaxed a little then, easily shrugging it off. For a moment there he'd been wondering if Jamie would... but no.

"It's nothing really, just been working too hard and not enough sleep lately." It wasn't a lie really, he just hadn't said why he hadn't been able to sleep.

"I'm fine." Jack said as they continued walking. _He used to work hard back then too, but he didn't get like this... He seems so tired, like... something else is up... something that is weighing on him..._

"Let's talk about you." Jack said suddenly, glancing back at his friend as they walked slowly through the trail, the snow was slowly beginning to fall around them.

"How are things with that girl of yours? Last time I saw you two were such sweethearts." Jamie blinked a little, didn't Jack know?

"Jack... how long has it been since you last been snooping on me?" He stopped, looking at the frost Guardian, it had surprised him that Jack didn't seem to know. It had never occurred to him before that when Jack disappeared from his life that he would stop his snooping as well... That just didn't seem like him.

"We've been broken up for about a year now."

"Really? I can't think of a reason a girl would want to break up with you." Jack said, he wasn't entirely sorry about that, but at the same time it confused him. They went inside Jamie's house when they arrived there a few moments later and Jack sat on the bed in Jamie's room while Jamie sat in the chair. He seemed to be considering all this new information. The fact that Jack hadn't known he had broken up with the last girl. It really made him wonder just how much Jack had missed in the near two years he'd been away, it wasn't exactly two years, but it was close enough for Jamie.

"Jack, I haven't felt your presence in a long while. When you last snooped on me... what did you see?" Jack thought back, it wasn't Amber he'd last seen Jamie with, it was some other girl. He considered it, the other girl had the same opinion of Jack as Amber had. Neither of them had believed, but that wasn't so unusual. He floated up a little bit as he reclined, his staff forgotten against the bed for the moment.

"I know you have two girlfriends, but nothing much about it. I do respect people's privacy mind you." Jack floated back down to the bed, sitting crosslegged on it as he leaned forward. The words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Aren't you hot? I mean two girls in just a few years." Where had that come from?

"It's not like that." Jamie said. Jack leaned back a little, waiting for Jamie to explain.

"With the first girl it was serious, but with the second... I was just confused after the first ditched me."

"Sorry to hear that, I heard first love hurts the most... but from what I saw, you and that other girl really cared for each other. Maybe you just need some time and space."

"Eh, don't be. Amber wasn't my first love."

"She wasn't?" That surprised Jack a little, he thought he'd kept close enough track of this, but he'd obviously missed something. Jamie relaxed a little, a small smile playing across his features.

"I feel sorry I hung out with Erin, but I'm grateful too... For opening my eyes. She made me realize that when I was with her my mind would always go somewhere else."

"Opening your eyes? I don't get it... what about your mind?" Jack wasn't sure he understood anything of what Jamie was talking about.

"You don't... know?" Jamie asked, Jack was baffled at the expression on Jamie's face. He hadn't seen that look before that he could recall. He shrugged a little.

"It's your mind, how would I know? But from the way you were with that last girl I could tell you two really cared about each other."

"Enough." Jamie said, as if Jack were arguing some point he didn't want to get into. Jack seemed a little too optimistic in this to Jamie.

"Even though it didn't work out, you still have time on your side."

"Drop it Jack, I mean it." Jack just laughed, getting off the bed and wandering around aimlessly as he did, he felt a little restless and wasn't sure why.

"Come on now, you should listen to your big bro." Jack swore he nearly jumped out of his skin when Jamie got up suddenly, hitting the wall with his palm next to Jack's head with a rather forceful smack. The sound made Jack freeze and he looked at Jamie with wide eyes.

"I said stop already! Whomever I like is none of your business. Stop meddling." Jack felt a jolt go through him... he was... meddling?

"Er..." It was all Jack could think to say as he met the intensity of Jamie's gaze. It was hard, sometimes, to remember that Jamie wasn't a little boy anymore.

"Jamie, can you pick some things up for me at the store?" Jamie's mother called, Jack wasn't sure if he was grateful for the interruption or not.

"Sure mom, I'll be right down!" He called over his shoulder before turning back to Jack.

"Now I need time and space, just like you said, but we need to talk. Come back tomorrow." Jack just stared after Jamie's retreating figure for a moment before he felt his legs give way and he slid into a sitting position against the wall.

"T-that... was terrifying." Jack muttered to himself. He hadn't been at all prepared for Jamie's sudden burst of hostility. _Those eyes... why does it feel even more terrifying than it was two years ago? It's as if... as if that boy who once jumped around with a broken tooth... is no longer there at all... _He sat there for a moment before forcing himself to get to his feet. Jamie had said to come back tomorrow... he didn't think he wanted to see how furious Jamie would be if he was still here when the teen returned. Still shaken by what he'd seen, he opened the window and flew out, he'd bide his time making some snow. Maybe he'd make a few snow days while he was at it.


	8. Chapter 8

8 - 1

"Ah... Jamie..." The words came out on a breathless tone that spoke of pleasure.

"I'm sorry... I don't know how you feel..." Jamie didn't say anything, he was too busy sliding his lips across the icy skin that was Jack's collarbone. After a moment though he removed his lips long enough to murmur.

"Now you will, and remember it well."

"Wait, Jamie! Unnhhh... not there!" Jame shifted a little to nip at Jack's skin, his own burning hot like a star. He felt he couldn't get enough. That this would never be enough...

"Ah!" Jack cried out from Jamie's gentle attentions.

"Oh Jack... you're so cute. Don't be shy." Jamie mumbled into his pillow, half asleep, half awake. He blinked suddenly when things faded around him and he almost sighed when he realized it was just a dream. Feeling that some vital part of him was uncomfortable, Jamie sifted to sit up, raising the covers a bit before dropping them back down. He covered his face with his hands as a blush spread across his face. _Oh gods... this is embarrassing. A dream huh? Well I guess that explains things... Jack wouldn't be that submissive... To feel so strongly for him is more than enough, but now to desire to touch him that way... _A soft tapping at his window made him peer through his fingers.

"Jamie? Are you awake?" Alarm sprung through Jamie as he saw Jack was crouched at the window.

"I'm coming in." He said, opening the window. Jamie had a sudden flash of alarm and embarrassment at the thought of Jack seeing him like this.

"No!" Jack froze on the window sill, he seemed confused, but then glanced away a bit sadly.

"Bad timing. I'll just leave then. Sorry I bothered you." A different sort of alarm zipped through Jamie now and he stumbled out of the bed, keeping the covers wrapped around him to hide his embarrassment.

"Jack wait!" His free hand snagged Jack's foot just barely in time.

"Don't leave... it's just... I need a shower first." He said as Jack looked down at him.

"Just... sit and wait for me okay? Don't sit on my bed though, I spilled some stuff on it that might melt you."

"Okay." Jamie was a little surprised how easily Jack bought the lie, but he really didn't want Jack to accidently find... His flush deepened as he left the room, the covers were going to need as much of a washing as the rest of his bedding. _Calm down Jamie..._ He told himself as he came back from the cold shower he'd just had. It had to be cold, he certainly wasn't going to take the other option left to him to deal with... that... while Jack was around. He noticed that Jack had opted to sit on the window seat. _He looks sad... did my yell really startle him that much? Is it something I said or... ?_

"Jack, sorry to keep you waiting." Jack looked over and up at him, he hadn't expected Jamie to be right next to him all of the sudden, but he didn't really think much on it. He was too sorry about the other day, realizing he really shouldn't have said what he had.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. You aren't a little boy anymore and I should have known not to tease you on such sensitive topics." Jamie put a hand on Jack, drawing the other's gaze to his.

"You don't have to apologize. I was a little cranky. I'm sorry I yelled at you just now, I was just having a bad dream." _What a crock... it was such a _good _dream..._ So good that Jamie had wished it had been real. Was still wishing even now that it had been.

"A bad dream? What was it about?"

"I don't want to think about it, let alone talk." At Jack's concerned expression though he sighed, thinking of something he'd dreamed about once years ago to use as a cover.

"I dreamed I got kidnapped by aliens and became a test subject for them."

"Oh, okay. That can't be a Nightmare." Jack muttered the last bit.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. You're not mad at me anymore... right?"

"No." Jack smiled then, any trace of his earlier sadness seemed to have been wiped away.

"That's a relief!" He chuckled a little.

"You know sometimes I can't follow teenagers in this generation so don't take offense. I am old after all. Anyway, I've work now, are you free tonight?"

"Yeah." _I've commissions to do, but that can wait._ He felt a little guilty about how he'd yelled at Jack the other day and then again this morning; he needed to make it up to him some how, so he'd put off his work for a little while to spend time with him. He wanted to anyway, knowing that spending time with Jack was limited since the winter spirit couldn't be here year round even if he wanted to be.

"Cool, I'll come by then around seven or eight."

"Sure, see you then. Also, I want to talk to you about something too." As he said it, Jamie made the decision that it was time. He really did need to tell Jack the truth, his friend deserved at least that much from him and obviously the other hadn't guessed it nor seemed to even suspect. Jamie nearly shook his head at the thought at how such a thing had seemed to go right over the head of the 300 year old spirit.

"Okay, we'll talk then." Jack smiled and leapt out the window, giving a wave before flying off. Jamie turned from the window.

"Okay... school time, but first I need to clean up the mess..." Jamie sighed a little and got to work. It was going to be a long day...

That evening the two sat in a park, sitting on the branch of the big oak tree that seemed to hold many memories of time gone by for the two of them. How many times had Jamie come here? In his younger days he'd come with Jack to play with his friends and have snowball fights, to build snowmen, then later he had come here to write in a journal he kept; that was about two years ago when he'd been in a bad way. Keeping the journal had helped keep him sane and had reminded him constantly of his belief in Jack's absence. Being on a hill, this particular tree offered a rather good view of the rest of the park and some of the city below. The sun had sunk below the horizon by the time they had both reached it, the city lights below twinkled like starlight. Not that Jamie minded, as long as Jack was near; he'd climbed the tree to sit on the lowest branch with the winter spirit. He knew what he needed to say, but the how was currently escaping him at the moment, and he considered just how he was going to say all that he knew he needed to say to him.

"So..." Jack began, cutting into the companionable silence. Jack glanced over.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me?" Jamie stared, his thoughts interrupted.

"Uh... I... well..." Why wouldn't the words just come out? He'd rehearsed this in his head so many times... why was this so hard all of the sudden? He'd even practiced it with a classmate of his earlier today, but he hadn't told them he'd planned to tell this to Jack of all people. Jack shifted into a comfortable crouch, closing the distance between them a little.

"I can't hear you there." He said, a small smile on his face. _His blush is priceless... _Jack couldn't help but tease him a little.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Jack asked, wondering what it was Jamie wasn't saying, had tried to say but apparently was having trouble. Jack only meant to be comforting, he wanted Jamie to know that he could speak without Jack judging him on whatever it was he had to say. Jamie didn't say anything though, making the winter spirit wonder just how serious this had to be if his friend couldn't manage to tell him about it.

He looked at Jack a moment, then decided he'd hesitated long enough; if he couldn't tell him then he'd just have to show him. He pulled Jack closer to him, closing the distance as he placed his lips on Jack's in a gentle kiss. Jack's eyes widened. He had been ready to listen, he hadn't been prepared for this. At first he had just froze but after a moment he shoved Jamie away as anger replaced his surprise.

"Stop using me as your kissing practice!" The shock on Jamie's face was, to Jack's alarm, genuine. What had he said to make him look at Jack like that?

"No Jack, it's not like that! It never has been!" Jamie sighed, the guilt rising up in him and it showed in his eyes as he looked at his childhood hero.

"I'm really sorry that I lied to you about that before, but this is how I really feel about you, don't you believe me?" Jack just stared, stunned. This was how Jamie felt? Dare he hope... ?

"You've always been the one that... I like that way." Jack was speechless as he stared at the teen who was his friend. This couldn't be real... this... had to be a dream.

"What about you Jack? How do you... really feel about me?" Jack could hear his heart pounding in his ears, he wanted to reply but all he could manage was...

"I... ummm..." What did he expect Jack to say? He'd been prepared for a lot of things but not... He felt a flush creep along his cheeks as he struggled for the words. Ones he wasn't entirely sure he should say, that he was sure were so against the rules... More so than the friendship he'd always offered the boy. Not that he cared about that, he never had honestly when it came to this boy. Jamie's expression fell to neutral one, the one that Jack had seen him use so often to hide his real feelings the past few years.

"I bare my soul to you and you have nothing to say?" He shifted away from Jack, bracing himself on the branch with his hands as he shoved off, landing at the base of the tree. Jack watched with surprise.

"Wha- Jamie! What the... ! Just like that?!" Jamie didn't move, he didn't turn to look at Jack either. This wasn't right! Jamie hadn't given him a real chance!

8 - 2

Jack felt frustration over take his shock. He couldn't let this happen... he had to...

"Jamie! I haven't said..." No, he hadn't said anything. He hadn't explained himself and by the moon he wasn't going to just let Jamie walk away from him that easily! The others could stuff it, he didn't care if this was against the rules or not! He wasn't going to let this chance just slip past him like so many others had in the past... so many opportunities when he could have told Jamie how he felt but had held back because of his own fears and doubts.

"Fine! I didn't mean it when I said you should go back to your girlfriend. I am **not** sorry you're not with her or anyone now! Otherwise you wouldn't have time for me!" Jack leapt off the branch as Jamie seemed to walk a few steps. _Jamie! Don't you dare walk away from me now!_ Jack threw caution into the wind... as the saying went. He felt he had nothing to lose now... nothing but Jamie and he would not lose him... not now.

"I hate seeing you close to someone else! I'm _so_ scared about the future, but I always want to be near you! You don't know how much I've had to restrain myself, to keep telling myself that you're like a brother to me!" He hovered over to Jamie who had paused in his steps, but the boy had made it a fair distance from the old oak they'd been sitting in moments before.

"Are you listening to me Jamie?!" Jack asked as he shifted to hang upside down in front of Jamie's face.

"I believe you!" Jack placed one hand on Jamie's head and closed the distance, pressing his lips against Jamie's. Sweet bliss ran through him, oh moon how he'd _wanted_ to do this for so long. He hadn't wanted the kisses before to be practice or to be just a thank you, he'd desired so much more, just as he did now. He had been gone for two years from Jamie because he couldn't handle the weight of his own feelings. Couldn't handle his jealousy when he saw Jamie with someone else. A jealousy he hadn't felt he had a right to, he had wanted so badly to come see Jamie, but at the same time he had feared coming because he couldn't stand seeing Jamie kiss someone else. Jack's eyes snapped open the moment he realized that Jamie had been returning the kiss; there was a subtle hint of banked passion in the gentle kiss and it made Jack shiver. For what seemed like forever, Jack couldn't move, but after a moment it was Jamie who shifted back.

"I am." He said with a soft smile, and Jack realized that although Jamie had begun walking away from him that he'd been listening the whole time. Disbelief that he'd been duped skittered across Jack's features.

"You... you were screwing with me?!"

"Yup. Otherwise you'd have never admitted how you felt."

"You're still a brat like two years ago! How would you know what I feel?!"

"Well, you did almost kiss me once and then there was that look you always had in your eyes."

"Wha?!" Jack was completely baffled, had he really been that transparent the whole time?!

"Come down here." Jamie said, tugging Jack from the air; flipping him right side up so he could kiss him again, properly this time. Although completely caught off guard, Jack didn't resist. Why would he? Jack would later wonder why he hadn't said anything to Jamie earlier, how his fears had gotten the better of him.

The next day Jamie had pinned Jack down into the bed, his kisses were soft and teasing; promising that there was more to come. Jack had never craved anything more, had never known he could crave anything like the way he did the kisses that Jamie offered so often now and so freely. Jamie didn't seem to have any hesitation, it was... terrifying and thrilling at the same time. He'd thought he'd known this boy so well when he'd watched him grow, even if he hadn't always appeared to Jamie, and sure he'd missed a few things along the way because mostly he respected people's privacy but this... How had he missed this? It was dang near impossible for him to actually think with all the wonderful sensations skittering through him as Jamie's warm tongue tangled with the coolness of his own. It was like sitting in front of a fire when one had been too cold, it wasn't the scalding heat he had once feared it to be before Jamie had first asked to "practice" kissing. Oh moon... he didn't want this to stop, but what was that sound? He shifted away from the kiss, listening.

"Ah... Jamie.." He managed breathlessly as Jamie's lips brushed his cheek.

"Stop, someone is coming." Seconds later that someone, Sophie, burst through the door; the door swinging wide open to her cheerful face.

"Bro! Bro guess what?!" She froze when she saw her brother and Jack; Jack flushed, there was no explaining THIS to a child of her age really...

"Sophie, didn't I tell you to knock when my door is closed?"

"Sorry brother." Sophie said, looking as sorry as she'd admitted to being, her cheeks slightly flushed though whether that was from being sorry or from seeing the two of them as they were Jack wasn't entirely certain. The girl had been excited about the snow day, but she'd also realized when she'd burst in that she'd interrupted something too that she hadn't meant to. While she wasn't exactly embarrassed about that, she was sorry she had.

"Sophie! Can you get your brother to run to the store with me?" Sophie called back over her shoulder, leaning a bit back into the hallway so her mother would hear her clearly.

"Brother's busy mom. I'll go with you!"

"I owe you one sis." Jamie said with a grateful smirk.

"Wha?!" Jack was shocked that Sophie seemed content to let them get back to what she'd interrupted.

"I'll talk to you later then." Sophie beamed at them.

"See you Jack Frost." She closed the door behind her while Jack just stared at the door, dumbfounded, unable to believe what had just happened. She was twelve years old and yet she'd acted like she was older and had... Jamie turned back to him with a smile.

"Now where were we?"

"Sophie knew?! Wait... didn't you say she likes your first girl friend? Ah!" The exclamation left him at the sudden heat of Jamie's hand against his skin, skimming beneath his hoodie along his ribs. It had been so long since he'd felt the touch of another besides a hug and he couldn't deny the pleasure that skittered through him.

"Wait... I didn't mean to - nnnh." He couldn't deny that Jamie seemed to know what he was doing and how to do it well. Jack couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such wonderful sensations from a gentle touch or the last time he didn't want such touch to stop. He felt that he could survive on this touch alone for the rest of his existence and it would never grow old.

"Yeah, she likes my first girl friend like a big sister. She dislikes the second though, but of all the people I've been with she likes you the most." Jamie shifted to press a gentle kiss against the skin he'd exposed when he'd shifted the hoodie. Jack's insides seem to flip flop at the sensation and he felt his face heat. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, quite the opposite in fact, but along with the sensation the fear of uncertainty reared it's ugly head.

"Jamie... don't you think we're going too fast?!" Jack wasn't so naive as to not know where this was going, but he had a few doubts and while they weren't many they were strong enough to make him hesitate. Jamie drew back to meet Jack's eyes.

"What do you mean? Isn't this consensual? I know you're not oblivious, don't you want _it_ after 300 years of not having any?"

"Umm... in fact... I... I don't know. I do like you ... but this..." Jack hadn't done anything like this since he'd emerged from the pond. The natural urges he'd had to fight against when he'd been alive simply had not been there after he'd become Jack Frost, winter spirit. Jamie was right that he wasn't oblivious to the attention that Jamie had been giving him, but he was afraid of what might not happen; afraid of disappointing the boy who meant so much to him. He hadn't ever thought about this sort of thing once... Not on purpose anyway.

"For real? A naughty guy like you hasn't ever snooped in some window to see what two adults do at night on their bed?" Jack's eyes widened a little at what Jamie was implying and he blurted out, suddenly pushing Jamie away.

"NO! I don't! ... My insides... they're frozen... My body... doesn't really respond to physical want..." Well, he didn't know that for certain since there had been something of sensation from Jamie's touches, but that didn't mean... no, he hadn't wanted this kind of attention in all his 300 plus years... but he also hadn't tried to... His cheeks flushed slightly as he went on.

"I... couldn't bear to see two people like that... to enjoy physical intimacy when no one saw me..." Jamie seemed shocked at this, but it faded somewhat as Jack went on.

"Adults are... complicated, they always have something beneath the surface." Not that Jack had completely missed seeing some adults begin to engage intimately or even teenagers but he'd always fled rapidly when he had realized it. One reason why he'd stopped peeking through living room windows to watch movies and such after the 1980s. People today were so desensified to such things, but to Jack... it had been torture.

"Right, I'm sorry." Jamie said, he hadn't meant to drag up any of Jack's old hurts. He lightly rested one hand against Jack's knees.

"I just assumed it would be okay because you're a 300 year old guy. I was wrong. Please, forgive me?" It was hard to push back his desire, but for Jack... anything.

"Hey I'm not that mad... I like your touch it's just that..." Jack said reassuringly, but fumbled a little with his doubts and fears. His blush coloring his cheeks lightly, a bluish pink tint.

"I'm just not sure about going further than this." Jamie sat back on his feet, thoughtful a moment.

"Okay, well... how about one last kiss for today?" Jack didn't respond to that, trying to think, but even now it was difficult with the way Jamie was looking at him, how he had leaned back in close to Jack.

"You like the kiss, don't you?" He teasingly stroked Jack's chin and Jack flushed a little brighter. He couldn't deny that, a soft sound rising in his throat at the gentle touch that seemed so understanding. Jamie chuckled softly.

"Never thought that the playful Jack Frost would react like this to my touch."

"I'm not used to being touched beyond a hug." Jack said a little irritably.

"I remember eight years ago North kissed both of your cheeks and Tooth hugged you harder than I did and all you did was smile."

"That's different."

"How so?" Ah geez, how was Jack supposed to explain this?

"Ah... well, North is kind of like a polar bear... so it was like being kissed by a bear..."

"Interesting, go on."

"Tooth... well, that was just a hug and she's really just like a mother to me more than anything."

"What about me?"

"You?" Jamie nodded. Jack hesitated a moment to find the right words.

"You're... like a furnace." It was the best thing he could come up with.

"Oh." After a moment Jamie smiled.

"Well I guess I can take that as a compliment. I mean, you're not going to melt on me right? Not literally anyway." Jack shook his head, he didn't think that would happen. He was a spirit after all, not an ice sculpture. Heat, well too much of it, made him terribly uncomfortable, but it didn't make him melt but still... Jack just stared at Jamie, shaking a little. Jamie shifted to place a kiss on his forehead. _It looks like... he's scared of something... he's not how he used to be._ Jamie thought as he drew back, sitting down on his bottom this time. He wasn't going to press Jack on this, he knew better and he didn't want to push him away. Jack glanced away after a moment, his gaze shifting along the room. _It's odd... he looks so small... it can't be simply because I grew can it?_ Jamie considered all of the possibilities. Jack hadn't stayed with him during the night either since they had met this winter. Was there something that Jack was hiding? Jack always seemed to have some reason that kept him from staying until the following morning.

"Say Jack, next week Sophie and I are going with mom on a business trip. Care to join us?" Whatever was bothering the winter spirit, he hoped that Jack would join them and that it could provide him with a temporary distraction from it.

8 - 3

"Fire." Jack said as the two of them walked along a sidewalk in Chicago, people bustled around them but Jack kept close to the street so that no one would walk through him.

"Hmm?"

"You asked a little bit ago what my greatest fear was."

"Is that really what you fear most right now?" Jamie asked, concern on his features.

"I've always been afraid of fire." Even as he said as much he reflected that it really wasn't his greatest fear; it used to be and he probably would always be afraid of fire but there was something else that crossed his mind that he found would be worse... That made him want to step into fire instead of facing that particular fear.

"Does it melt you? Does it hurt?" He became worried when Jack's expression darkened a little, thoughts of times past came rushing back. Thoughts he hadn't had in a long while. _Why can't I just die? If ice gave birth to me... would fire be my end? Can it even truly hurt me?_

"Jack?" Jame snagged Jack's wrist to get his attention.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just some old memories from years ago. I'm fine." He said with a smile, he meant it, he really was. He hadn't had any such thoughts about his own death since... well, since just before he'd met Jamie when the boy had been younger. He'd been fascinated, for reasons that escaped him, when he'd seen the brown haired boy for the first time; that had been years before Jamie had believed in him and seen him. The two of them had stopped and glanced around at shops on the other side of the street, Jamie was trying to make up his mind as to whether or not to go there when there was a loud boom behind him. Jamie didn't stop to think, reacting instantly; Jack had reacted as well, putting himself between Jamie and the explosion to protect him, but Jamie had grabbed Jack and twisted them about at the last second, the shock wave and fire bursting over him as he did his best to shield Jack from the resulting flames even as Jack released an icy blast of cool air and his strongest ice in attempt to shield the both of them from it even as the strength of the shock wave battered against his powers. Screams pierced what had once been background noise of chatter of people as they went about their day. The every day companionable existence that had existed had been shattered in that split second.

"Jamie?!" It was all Jack had time to say as it was over in a brief moment, flames licking now at what had been the store. People were scattering, many dialing on their phones for help while a few brave souls, not hurt in the initial blast, moved to help the wounded or see if anyone survived in the store. Soon enough sirens pierced the air, disrupting what had initially been a peaceful morning.

"Police report that the explosion in a downtown city strip mall in Chicago was caused by three homemade bombs that had been set off, two of which had been placed in a shop and other out in the crowd on the side walk. Three were killed while 265 were injured from the explosions. Police are searching the Chicago area in a house-to-house sweep for the bombing suspect. Citizens of the area are holding a candlelight memorial this evening at the remains of Burgens, the shop that was decimated in the explosion and the main target of the attack..." Snow drifted silent around Jack, he knelt before a grave, tears streaming down his face only to freeze before they hit the ground as he read the writing inscribed on the marble:

In Loving Memory of Jamie Bennett

Jack felt weak, useless, he hadn't been able to... _No... this is not... it can't be... _Jack jolted awake. When had he fallen asleep in the tree? He ran a hand through his hair and over his face. He hadn't had a dream like that since... He pushed the thoughts of it away as he glanced over to the other side of the street where he knew Jamie was at now, the Burnsi Chicago Hospital. Jack floated over to the window that he'd recently left, he felt himself shaking badly; it was relief that seemed to course through him like a soothing wave as he saw Sophie and Jamie's mother were keeping him company. Jamie was wrapped in bandages along his arms and hands, making it look like he was wearing some sort of gloves. _He's still here... it... it was just a bad dream._ Jack let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he'd been holding back. Barely registering that the sun had set.

"Don't worry mom, I'll look after big bro." Sophie chirped.

"Alright, I won't be gone long." Jack watched as she left the room. Sophie turned to Jamie.

"Bro?"

"Don't cry, alright? I think I've had enough of that between mom and Jack's anger."

"Jack Frost is mad at you?" Sophie asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yeah, after I got checked out and transferred here."

"_Jack! Glad to see-" Jamie's smile turned to shock at the anger in Jack's voice._

"_What under the moon got into you? What did you think you were doing, Jamie?! You could have died!"_

"_But... but I'm okay, it's only a first degree burn and... I felt something cold protecting me... that was you wasn't it?"_

"_Leave that aside! You know I'm immortal! Nothing could kill me, but you... you're just a mortal! You're so stupid!" _Jamie hadn't expected Jack to be so angry about what had happened... he had just reacted in the short time that they'd had to. He... he knew that no matter what Jack felt about it that he would have done it again. He wanted to protect Jack, couldn't the frost Guardian see that? Maybe it had been a stupid move, but he'd wanted to protect the frost spirit as much as Jack had always protected him.

"But he just left when people started coming in." Jamie said, shaking away his own memory and thoughts.

"Brother... you don't seem bothered about this. Why?"

"Well, because I managed to cover a whole lot of Jack and save him from the blast. Despite that me and a whole bunch of other people got hurt... I'm glad I could protect Jack."

"Hey, didn't you say Jack's not happy about this?"

"Aha... right, he isn't." Jack turned from the window. _What?_ _How stupid can I be? All this time..._ The frost spirit wondered, suddenly reminded of something Jamie had told him years ago.

"_The one... that I want to protect the most..."_ Jack shook slightly at this revelation as more memories assaulted him. _Your anger at my help... your wish to be taller than me... all those things..._ Jack turned back to see Jamie's mother tucking Sophie in, suddenly it all made sense like never before.

"Now who's looking after who?" She murmured with a bit of a chuckle.

"Bunny..." Sophie muttered in her sleep, it made Jack smile a little, the kid still was so attached to the rabbit even after all this time. Even after not being able to see the "kangaroo" who didn't often visit the Bennett home. Only once their mother left did Jack slowly slide the window open, climbing inside. The window creaked in protest, Jamie turned.

"Jack!" Jamie's expression went from happy to sorrowful when he saw the intense expression on the Guardian's face. _Is... he still mad?_ He wondered as he climbed out of the bed. Jack didn't say anything, he simply walked up to Jamie and threw his arms around his neck, pulling him close.

"Are you not mad anymore?" Jamie asked.

"Still a little, but... I shouldn't have yelled at you. I know you meant well." Jack drew back to meet Jamie's eyes. He wanted to make sure Jamie understood how serious he was about this as he went on.

"But I... don't want you to do anything like that ever again. Understand?" Jamie didn't respond, but he didn't have to, the look in his eyes was answer enough.

"Jamie, are you really alright?"

"Well... I'm fine other than it stings and itches a lot. A little cold might help."

"Seriously? _Now_ you're asking for coddling?" Jack still hadn't forgotten how Jamie had pushed him away the last time he'd tried. It had stung then.

"Can't I?" Jamie asked with a soft smile and Jack had to admit, at least to himself, he wanted to soothe the boy's wounds as he had years before.

"Sit down then." Jack murmured and Jamie did, Jack lightly ran his fingers along Jamie's hands first, but it wasn't his hands that were wrapped so much as his arms were. Jack had managed that much by dropping the temperature around them in an attempt to shield them both from the heat of the blast.

"Do your hands hurt?"

"They're fine Jack." Jack said nothing as he skimmed his fingers along Jamie's arm, allowing his icy magic to pour from him. Jamie relaxed at the cool touch as Jack moved to his other arm before undoing the tie at the back of the hospital gown and pushing it away to skim his fingers along the bandages around his back, which were mostly at his shoulders and a patch near his left side. Jack did his best to push aside thoughts that threatened to rise as his hands skimmed along the heated skin. _This much? _Jamie wondered and glanced over his shoulder at Jack who met his gaze. Jamie shifted a little to draw close, drawn to the winter spirit by what he saw in his eyes though he wasn't sure what it was, but it was Jack who closed the distance between them to place his lips on Jamie's. Not long afterwards Jamie lay on his stomach, his burns cooled for the moment, providing numbing relief. _This is good..._ He thought as his mind wandered towards sleep. _That image... ingrained in my memory from eight years ago... it doesn't feel so bad anymore..._


	9. Chapter 9

9 - 1

Jack blinked as he stared at Jamie, a little confused.

"But Jamie, there's nothing wrong with me." He wasn't sure why Jamie was pushing this issue despite that he'd told him time and again for the last two weeks that he was fine. So he hadn't slept much lately, or well, what was the big deal? He was an immortal, he really didn't need sleep all that much or really at all for that matter. They'd been having a companionable walk through the streets towards Jamie's house, snow falling around them, when Jamie had brought it up, _again_.

"I'm just worried about you. How's your wound?" Jack said, trying to cover his exhaustion with that excuse. It wasn't a lie after all, he was worried and he didn't want the boy to overly worry about him; he was an immortal after all.

"I can't believe you Jack!"

"Eh?"

"You're staying with me until you're better, and just so you know my burns are all healed." He grabbed Jack's hand and tugged him towards his house.

"I'm not spending a night at your house!" Jack protested.

"Oh? I'll make you." Jack shivered at the promise that seemed to underlie those words. He didn't doubt Jamie could make good on that if Jack didn't cooperate. So that was how half an hour later that evening Jack found himself leaning against Jamie, a proof version of a book that Jamie had been working on recently in his hands.

"And they lived happily ever after." Jack finished, closing the book. _Heh... now he's getting too comfortable._ Jamie thought as he rested his chin on Jack's head.

"Tired now? You should go to bed."

"Mmkay." Jack muttered sleepily, he just hoped he didn't have a bad dream.

"I like your book." He added.

"Glad you do. I've some studying to do for an exam so you go right ahead and go to sleep."

"Okay." Jack replied as the two shifted, Jack laying down on top of the covers and Jamie shifted so that he could be out of the way but hovering over Jack.

"Goodnight Jack, sweet dreams." Jack stared a moment before smiling.

"G'night Jamie." Jamie pressed a kiss to his forehead before going to his desk to get some studying done. The first thing that Jack was conscious of was the light of the sun peeking in the curtains around Jamie's window, he opened his eyes; how long had it been since he had slept like this? He sat up at the sound of the door opening. It was just Jamie though.

"Oh, you're awake. I just finished showering." Jack grinned happily.

"Jamie, I had a good dream last night!"

"A good dream? What was it about?" Jamie only dared hope that...

"You and me in a one-on-one snowball fight!" Jack replied happily, Jamie turned from Jack so that the other wouldn't see his disappointment and get the wrong idea. _Aw geez... he really is such a kid sometimes... _Jamie thought as he suppressed a sigh before glancing back over at Jack who sat crosslegged on the bed now, he couldn't help but feel happy at seeing Jack look a lot more like himself, though the spirit still seemed tired. Jamie wondered if he should keep Jack a few more nights. Hopefully clearing up whatever it was that was causing Jack to be so tired.

"Does that mean you have a lot of nightmares?" Jamie asked as he shifted to sit on the bed with Jack, feeling that maybe he had missed something.

"No." He wasn't lying there, he really didn't have a lot of nightmares often. In fact it was rare for him to, especially with recent events.

"You wouldn't have spent the night if I hadn't forced you to though. You don't tell me your dreams like you used to."

"Well... that's because... it's not important."

"Really?" Jack met Jamie's gaze and he wondered if the boy believed him.

"Jamie... what are you... didn't you say you had an exam to study for?"

"Yeah, but I can't concentrate with this left hanging." It was a Saturday, he had some time.

"I don't know what you're talking about kiddo."

"I know something isn't right Jack. You haven't had the energy to jump about and joke as you usually do." Jack was silent then. What did Jamie expect him to say? Sure he'd been exhausted lately, and still was if he admitted it, but that seemed to be something that sleep had helped him with. He hadn't had nightmares every time he'd tried to sleep, but several times lately it had been a common thing and his nightmares had been twisted memories of things that had happened. Like not being able to save Jamie from Pitch, or his sister falling into the ice instead of him. He'd woken up in a sweat and had felt more exhausted when he'd had the nightmares than when he didn't bother to sleep.

"Two years ago, when I didn't tell you what was bothering me. You remember how you felt?" Jack nodded a little.

"That's exactly what I'm feeling now. I hope this isn't payback." Jack's eyes widened at the suggestion that he was keeping this a secret for that reason.

"I..."

"Listen to me Jack, ten years ago you trusted me to protect you and the Guardians. You must have believed I could help or you wouldn't have allowed me to stand between you and Pitch. You believed in me then, why can't you now?" Jamie cupped Jack's face gently, staring into the icy blue eyes.

"If something happened to you, I wouldn't know how to live with myself... and not just me. All the children who look up to you will be unhappy. I said I would protect you, but I didn't mean for just that one day Jack." Jack shifted to rest his head against Jamie. Thoughts and feelings of past years flowing over him once more.

"Jamie... I'm not that worthy of protection. You've done for me... far too much already."

"Jack-"

"No... you listen to me, Jamie. I'm not exactly who you think... or believe that I am." Jack couldn't meet Jamie's gaze anymore, despondent and ashamed.

"You don't know what I've done... if you did.. you'd probably hate me." Jamie hugged Jack close.

"Well... I'm still waiting for you to tell me." Jamie wondered how bad this could be, what could it be that Jack wasn't telling him that he thought so was so terribly bad that Jamie would hate him?

"You know you can tell me anything and that my feelings for you wouldn't change at all." Jack's eyes widened a little at hearing his own words reflected back at him, that Jamie seemed to understand his fear and was reassuring him just as Jack had done when Jamie had been a child.

"I..." Jack fumbled a little before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, this was going to be the hardest thing he'd ever done. Jamie had wanted to know this; Jamie, the boy he had trusted with his life ten years ago and had kept him from surrendering himself to the Nightmare King as he'd thought in that one moment he'd have to do just to ensure the boy's safety. Jamie had said that his feelings for Jack wouldn't change... it was time he came clean. He wasn't proud of what he'd done that year or what he'd been forced to do since he had been raised from the ice.

9 - 2

**I started out with a blizzard, that brought a whiteout and paralyzing conditions for days... Then I took it to another level... On that warm day, when people ventured out from their homes to the outside world... I caught them unprepared in a cold snap. Including many school children. Giving them hypothermia and frostbite, things that I learned I could do, but nothing changed. An entire town... wiped out by my snow... all because I was trying to get the moon to answer me. To answer the questions about why I was there, what my purpose for living was, why I wasn't able to be seen. I had just about enough of being left in the dark, of having no one to answer me, no one who saw me, of being walked through like I wasn't even there. I had so many unanswered questions. Why was I here? What was I meant to do? I didn't belong anywhere, no matter where I ventured it was all the same. It came to the point that... I wanted to end it all... I wanted to die. I'd made people hate me because of that. I didn't care that they hated me, I hated them... hated that they were able to be happy and I was all alone. At the end of the day though, when it had all been done... I didn't feel any better. I actually felt worse. I couldn't recall, at the time, the last time I had made anyone smile. When had I seen a child smile because I brought the snow? Was there even a memory or was it just a figment of my imagination? Wishful thinking? After all, I had believers...**

Jamie blinked.

"Wait, you had believers back then?" Jack blinked, of all the things he'd just said... _that_ was what had surprised Jamie? Jack sat back, looking at Jamie, trying to gauge his reaction.

"In a sense. Not believers I wanted though." Jack sighed, looking sad suddenly before he continued with his story.

**Was it not enough that the few children who could believe me, were those who had deliberately thrown themselves into my cold year after year? I remember the first one... a little girl who had purposely waited until it was almost time for warm weather. I had just lain the last snow that I would for that winter and she had wondered over towards the edge of the city lake. She wasn't wearing shoes or any sort of protection, just a dress I'd often seen young girls wear in the summer. I don't remember her name, but I don't think she ever told me. Some did, some didn't... She walked across the ice, like she was scared but at the same time she seemed determined and when she found the weak ice she began jumping to break it... deliberately. I was only quick enough to pull her out of the water after the ice had broken... She was shivering when I got her to the bank. She looked at me... really looked at me for the first time and she told me she wanted me to stay with her. She was starting to show signs of hypothermia. When I offered to take her back to the village, she refused. She told me she didn't want to go back, she just didn't want to be alone. She wanted me to stay with her, to be with her as the cold overtook her; she was... maybe only ten at the most. I couldn't just abandon her. So I stayed by her, she told me why she didn't want to live anymore... When she passed on... I saw a boy standing there, watching as I had set a frost flower on her. He couldn't see me, but he saw the flower... and from then on... my name became a whispered wish to those who were weary of life. For children who did not want to carry on anymore... I became known as Brother Frost, the Saint of Suicide. Even then, when it took months for letters to reach their destinations by pony... my name spread from village to village. As technology advanced... stories of me spread further and further... and the further news of me went the more and more calls I heard upon the wind. Calls for me to take them away from the life they lived. It became a common way for me to spend my time when I wasn't spreading snow... some places didn't even get snow because I was becoming so busy answering calls... and I tried to ignore one once. I tried to block it out... but I couldn't... I couldn't just ignore the call... Every time a child called, I had to go... I had no choice... if I fought it... the power of winter inside me would take over me until it was done and... It was like being a puppet on a string.**

**I was a walking along the streets of the woods around my lake when I began to notice I wasn't alone. Of course I knew there were other spirits who could see me, but until then none of them had paid me much attention. It was the first time I met Pitch. He didn't know who I was, but he had seen my work and he asked me to join him. I almost did. I was at my lowest point and he offered to be a friend, something that no one else around me had. Before I could give him any sort of answer though, Pitch was driven off by a stream of golden sand. It was, of course, Sandman. Strange as it sounds, I was surprised to see him. Surprised that someone else had bothered to do anything for me. I thought he would leave, as many spirits had done before. Instead, he stayed with me for a while. I saw his power, how he provided good dreams to children and I was jealous. He never spoke a word, I could barely understand him honestly; but he purged me of the nightmares that had begun to plague me just before the incident with the blizzard. No one had ever been so kind. He tried to help me understand that children still enjoyed what I do, but I didn't believe it. I thought it was too late for me, that I'd messed things up so badly that everyone would always hate my winter... that is until he hit me with that dream sand of his. In my dream, he showed me a girl who had stood up for my winter... who had the nerve to tell the other children that she thought it was beautiful and that, despite she had lost her brother, that this time of year was for fun and snowballs. I wouldn't find out until I regained my memories again... but that girl who was so very brave... she was my sister. When I woke up, I remembered how I could bring joy to children, how I could give them the fun that she had spoken of. I don't know why he was being so kind, but I asked for his forgiveness for what I'd done... because I knew I had only acted like a nightmare, nothing like I was supposed to... he seemed to understand. To understand me more than anyone and he even knew about the children who called to me... he assured me that it was okay... that I did what I had to, what I was made to and that I wasn't the Saint of Suicide... I was an angel. An angel of winter who escorted the weary to the next life. **

**I found myself alone again after that. The days still came and I still created snow, but now I was making children happy, making them love to see my snowflakes fall again. Sandy had taught me that it wasn't too late for me; that the time would come when someone would believe in me... would see me. I found my smile again as I watched children frolic about, building snowmen and having the time of their lives. Every year, people died from snow and cold. The year before last was one of the coldest and when I came to Jamie's house I saw him with his girlfriend... and she was right.**

Jamie blinked, casting his mind back, he remembered the brunette he'd thought he'd liked, but had actually just been using as a rebound from his first.

"You mean Erin?" Jamie asked. Jack nodded slowly, unable to meet Jamie's eyes.

"_You believe in Jack Frost that much?! Surely then you'd know about how he kills people with blizzards! What do you think of that? Huh?"_

"So... you heard what she said then... and you just ran away? Jack, don't tell me that was the reason you gave up on visiting me!" Jack didn't answer, Jamie gripped his shoulders; he suddenly understood why Jack had been gone for two years. Thanks to that girl he had almost lost Jack...

"I can't believe you just left like that!"

"I couldn't stand ... that someone close to you was saying that..."

"Jack... don't you know I broke up with her on that day?" Jack glanced up, pure surprise on his face.

"Wow... You think I'm that shallow... it hurts."

"No, Jamie... I'm... I'm just scared."

"If it's about me hating you then stop, it's not going to happen. Do you really think I didn't know that people die in the cold? That people wander into blizzards and don't come back? Jack, I can't blame you for that because it's not your fault. Yes you bring the cold and blizzards, but you don't force people out into them. They made the decision to go out. You can't blame yourself for the decisions of others."

"Yeah... but..."

"Jack, a lot of deaths in blizzards happened over 300 years ago and weren't because of you. Natural disasters just happen, they're beyond anyone's control."

"Yeah, but still... my mood affects the ecology in the areas I'm in. Blizzards get worse when I'm unstable and I can't control it all the time..."

"That's why you try to be happy all the time then..." Jack nodded.

"Jack, you will always be a part of the whole ecology thing, but while cold, snow and ice can be dangerously unforgiving and destructive it's also breathtakingly beautiful. I think those beauties are your artwork." Jack stared, how did Jamie guess that he sometimes had spent his time between seasons, mostly during fall and spring, carefully crafting each snowflake that he would send out into the world? That he gave each frost spiral its own pattern to follow when it would slide across a window or tree?

"Last year's rain was pretty awesome."

"Well, yeah... but I thought half a million people suffered... flights canceled, power lost, Christmas without electricity..." Jamie smiled a little as he trailed off.

"I don't know about everyone else, but my family got days off and we spent quality time together. We had lots of fun tossing boiling water into the air and watching it turn to snow." Jamie gently squeezed his shoulder.

"Without you, things would have been much worse, so don't blame yourself. You think I haven't noticed that you save people?"

9 - 3

"Huh?! How did you..." How could Jamie possibly know?! How could he have guessed that many times he'd sent people or cars slipping on his ice to make sure that no one truly got hurt or severely injured? That he'd made it his job to be the "winter angel" Sandy had said he was?

"Just like you saved me and Monty from slipping into a melting lake when we were kids... You watch out for people, even though no one sees you and thanks you for it." Jack was silent. How was it that Jamie seemed to be so understanding? That he wasn't mad at him or afraid or... _something_.

"Jack, the bad deeds you did in the past... how you felt anger and hatred... it was only because you're still human. Even if you don't see it. It's only normal that eventually you would snap. Even me... two years ago I was no different. I hated those boys for what happened to Monty... I took it out on them and I enjoyed every minute of it even if it meant being hurt myself. I had wanted them to suffer, to pay for what they had done. I'm not proud of it." He paused a moment.

"I hated them so much that I wished every day that they would just die, even after I had beat them up. Even now I still get a bit resentful when I think of Monty's death... How unfair it was that it was him when it should have been them."

"Jamie..." Jack said softly, he understood that guilt all too well, that anger and hatred... He saw how it was that Jamie seemed to understand him so well... Jamie put his hand on Jack's.

"This isn't about me Jack." He raised Jack's hand, pressing his lips to the cold digits. There was nothing in his eyes but understanding as he met Jack's.

"I could only imagine that if I had been in your place that I would have done a lot worse. I'd have done it without remorse too... But you, Jack Frost... despite the worst that could've happened to you... You remain upright and decent to the end. My life, two years ago, would have been so much worse without you by my side." Jamie could tell that Jack really needed to know this. To know just what a difference he had made.

"Even so more, I would have lost my belief eight years ago if it hadn't have been for what you did. I wouldn't have been the last light for too much longer without you. No, the last light wasn't me Jack, it was you. So don't you _dare_ say that you aren't worth protecting, that you don't belong anywhere. If you ever need me Jack, I'll be here for you; you just have to tell me." Jamie closed his eyes a moment, when he opened them he saw that Jack was crying.

"Do you know where you belong now?" Jack opened his eyes, looking at Jamie through his tears. He did know. Jack threw his arms around Jamie, because of this boy... he knew where he belonged. He had found his place in the world and he knew that despite everything that had happened, he would go through it all again if it meant that he would meet Jamie.

Days seemed to whiz by, Jack continued to go out to send snow days to other places about the world and Jamie studied hard for the exam he would have to take soon. Jamie convinced Jack to stay with him, after all didn't Jack have good dreams while around Jamie? Of course Jamie hadn't minded one bit and, only after he had made sure that it really wouldn't affect Jamie's studying, had he'd conceded to staying during the night. He'd amused himself by often frosting over the windows in various patterns, sometimes drawing various pictures in them for Jamie to look at when he took a break from his studies. On the day of the exam, Jack followed Jamie to the school.

"Jamie! We're going to be late!" Cupcake said as she dashed off. Jack was smiling at Jamie.

"Go do your best kiddo!" Jamie frowned a little, Jack looked even more tired than usual despite having spent half the week at Jamie's home.

"Jack, you don't look so good."

"I'm fine Jamie. You'd better get going before you're late." Jamie studied Jack, but Jack only smiled at him and so he didn't ask further. Jack spun him around and pushed him forward.

"Go on now! Cupcake is calling!" Jamie caught up to Cupcake turning around to wave at Jack who waved back just as enthusiastically as he had before. Jamie smiled a little and turned to head inside.

"Come _on_, Jamie!" Cupcake said as she hurried to the class.

"Okay, okay I'm coming!" Once they were out of sight, Jack took off into the air, heading back towards Jamie's house. He grimaced as pain shot through his entire body. _My body hurts like I've been in a fight... Why does it hurt so much all of the sudden? I... I can't make Jamie worry now. I've got to get to North..._ He flew past a tree, but at that moment the pain lanced through him and he arched, nearly crying out. He coughed violently, blood splattering his hand, through his fingers and splattering on his hoodie. Jack didn't have time to worry about the blood as his conscious mind slid from the waking world and he fell from the sky, caught in the cradle of a thick cluster of branches near the top of the tree. Even as he felt the world go black, his final thought was a single word. _Jamie._

Jamie sighed inwardly as he looked at the test before him. _Dang it... I can't concentrate... Jack looked off. He looked worse than he had when Pitch had knocked him from the sky ten years ago... Jack... what is wrong with you? _Jamie chewed his bottom lip as he tried to concentrate. Jack had reassured him that he was fine, even if he didn't look it. He'd see him after the exam wouldn't he? He tapped his pencil thoughtfully as he considered the question in front of him and the one in his mind at the same time. He only had the answer to the question before him; the one on paper, not the one in his mind. He closed his eyes a moment when suddenly his eyes snapped open and he jumped up from his seat.

"Eh? Jamie?!" Cupcake called out.

"No fair, leaving in the middle of the exam!" The teacher called, but Jamie was already out the door.

"I heard him... but where?" He murmured to himself, glancing around; he knew something was very wrong. A strong breeze seemed to swoop out of nowhere, tugging at him as if trying to pull him in a specific direction. Jamie ran in the direction it was trying to tug him. He came to a large tree near the school and looked up.

"Jack?" He called, suddenly the figure in the tree fell from the branches and Jamie reached out, catching the falling spirit. His eyes widened in alarm when he saw the blood.

"Jack! Jack wake up!" Jack didn't stir, starting to panic, Jamie thought of North. He searched Jack's pocket and felt only mild relief when his hand pulled out a snow globe. He shook it, whispering his destination into the thing hoarsely, as if he'd been screaming for hours, and tossed it. The magical portal appeared instantly and, with Jack cradled against him, Jamie didn't hesitate to run through it. The disorientation he felt was a mild thing in the back of his mind in comparison to the panic for Jack's wellbeing that was shooting through him now.

"NORTH!" Jamie yelled, his cry startling several elves nearby and they scattered at the shout, frightened. Several yeti stopped what they were doing and looked up. Seconds later the Guardian of Wonder appeared, he took one look at Jack and the desperation in Jamie's eyes before leading him to an infirmary where he began to look over Jack after Jamie had set him on a bed.

"W-what's wrong with him?" Jamie asked shakily, not leaving Jack's side.

"Do not know. Will soon. Tell me, have you noticed strangeness? About Jack?" He asked as one of the yetis fetched some tools for North. Jamie thought about that a moment before answering.

"Yeah, ever since he came back he's been so tired... he said it wasn't a big deal but..." Jamie trailed off as he watched North work in silence. North checked Jack's eyes and listened to his breathing, just a like a doctor in any clinic or hospital. A frown creased the big Guardian's face a moment and he shooed the yeti away.

"North?"

"Must talk with other Guardians. Stay with him." Jamie nodded. He wanted answers, but he wanted more to stay by Jack and so he stayed. North had cleaned up the blood from Jack before he'd left. Jamie held Jack's hand in his, sitting on the bed.

"Please be okay Jack..." He whispered, his heart clenched in his chest and he closed his eyes against the tears that were welling up behind them. Something had to be done. This couldn't be happening... Not now, not that he'd finally gotten Jack to believe in him... to trust him.


	10. Chapter 10

10 - 1

"What's this about North?" Bunny asked, crossing his paws. The others had gathered in a meeting room.

"Shhh, keep voice down. Is serious trouble."

"Trouble? Is it Pitch?" Tooth asked anxiously.

"No. That we deal with. Jamie is here, at pole." This news made the other Guardians stare in shock at North.

"He brought Jack, is very bad. Jack is out, like light. Had blood on him. Jamie say he was tired a lot." Tooth's eyes widened.

"You don't think it's..." She began, a hand flying to her mouth.

"Oh man... I thought we fixed that." Bunny groaned.

"Is true, we did, but Jack not here then." North said with a frown.

"What are we going to do mate?" Bunny grimaced, this was serious indeed. Sandy waved to get North's attention before rapid symbols flashing above his head.

"Yes, is thought, but don't think Jack has much time. Already he in bad way when Jamie brought him here. I see if I find alternate cure."

"Have you told Jamie?" Tooth asked.

"No."

"Maybe best mate. Tooth, why don't you wipe the bloke's memories of Jack?" Tooth's eyes widened at what Bunny was suggesting.

"No, Bunny. That is last resort. We try first, fix Jack." The Pooka sighed, well there was no arguing with the other Guardian there. Jack might irritate him from time to time, but like the other Guardians he cared deeply for the frost spirit.

"I'll go back to tha' Warren then, see what I can find." With a couple thumps to summon a tunnel, Bunny disappeared down the hole that appeared; a blue daisy blooming in the middle where the hole had once been.

"I'm off to your library, maybe I can find something we missed before." Tooth said and North nodded.

"I join you. Sandy, watch over Jamie." The golden Guardian nodded and floated off towards the room where Jamie held Jack's hand.

Jamie hadn't left Jack's side and the boy didn't seem to notice when the Guardian of Dreams floated into the room until Sandy had laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked up then with a tired smile. A bed and a question mark appeared over the Guardian's head, Jamie shook his head.

"I'm not really that tired, but thanks." Sandy made a few more symbols, slow enough for the boy to catch, but Jamie shook his head.

"Sorry, not sure I understand." Sandy thought for a moment before using his dreamsand to form letters.

_You should. For Jack's sake. We will help him. Have faith._ Jamie nodded, he turned his attention back to Jack; he didn't notice that Sandy had floated over his head to sprinkle some of his sand onto the boy. Jamie yawned and then slumped as the sand took effect. Sandy repositioned the boy to be settled next to Jack. He glanced to Jack with concern, he would do his best to weave good dreams for them both. Sandy tried weaving one for Jack, but it didn't seem to work and after a few tries, Sandy had to admit defeat and wove a dream for Jamie. The nature of the dream was hardly surprising, but Sandy frowned when what had been a good dream became a nightmare. Nothing like what Pitch would create, but his sand had turned grey, he tried to change it but it only worked for a little while. This disturbed the little man, he knew Jamie was worried about Jack, but to be disturbed on such a level that would make Sandy's dreams almost ineffective was something the Guardian had never come across before. After a while, deciding that there was nothing to be done until the boy awoke on his own, Sandy found a place to take a nap. When Sandy awoke again, he saw that Jamie was also awake; the boy looked tired. With a frown, Sandy floated over to him a question mark hovering over his head. Jamie glanced over at the Guardian and gave him a tired smile as he lay next to Jack.

"Hard to have good dreams when you're worried about someone. Jack is everything to me, ever since that time ten years ago..." He trailed off, seeing a heart above the Sandman's head and a question mark.

"Yeah... you could say I do." He watched as a snowflake appeared next to the heart.

"Are you asking if I've told him?" Jamie asked, guessing at the intention. Sandy nodded with a smile, which faded when Jamie shook his head.

"We haven't said anything like that to each other, but Jack knows I care... if not how much. I do love him though." The images faded to be placed by a larger question mark.

"Why not? Hmmm, that's a good question. Well, in truth I had a hard enough time just figuring it out and then figuring out how I was going to tell Jack... As for Jack... he's not one to easily admit his feelings. I had a hard time getting out of him what I did. Besides, I'm not entirely sure of Jack's feelings, he isn't a very open book... not even with me. Although he did share what happened in his past, about that time you helped him." An exclamation point appeared over the Guardian's head. Far as Jamie could tell, the little Guardian remembered that time too. After a moment, words began to appear in the sand again.

_That is more than he has ever told anyone... even the other Guardians. You have something very special, you should tell him. It is true he does not trust easy, but he trusts you. _

"I'm not sure he does... I mean, he told me he was fine even though he clearly wasn't."

_He did not know anything was wrong. This is something we have dealt with before, but it has been a good many years since. Jack was not around when we dealt with it and now because we did not think he would be vulnerable to it... he is suffering._

"So, you know what is wrong with him then?" The Guardian nodded.

"I guess that's a relief. In a small way." For the first time since coming to the pole, Jack moved; shifting to his side so that he faced Jamie. Jamie glanced over quickly, watching Jack to see if he would awaken, instead Jack seemed to curl up, a groan of distress leaving his lips. Jamie looked over to Sandy in panic.

"We have to help him!" Sandy nodded and he tossed a handful of sand on the boy as he shut his eyes and was instantly asleep. Sandy watched over the two, hoping that he had done the right thing. He knew that Jamie wasn't normal as far as humans went and he hoped against hope that he was right; that the boy could do what none of them could.

"Jack... I'm scared." The scene was so familiar, the snowy land all around them, the feel of the chill in the air; the cold ice beneath his feet. It wasn't his sister who was standing on the ice though as it cracked; It was Jamie, as a young boy, his brown eyes wide with fear. The eight year old that Jack remembered had bravely stood up to Pitch. Jack tried to find his staff, glancing around frantically, but it was no where nearby. The boy's eyes widened with fright as Jack slowly moved forward and more cracks appeared on the ice. He couldn't fly, he'd already tried, so that just left one option... He took another step forward and the ice broke suddenly.

"Jamie!" Jack dove forward, but the ice sealed itself over the young boy who was disappearing into the depths. Jack clawed at the ice, shaking as he tried again and again to break it, to reach the one who mattered the most to him...

"Jamie no! No... this can't be... it can't be happening." Tears streaked down his face, freezing in place before falling as he he slammed his fists against the ice that refused to even begin to crack beneath his efforts. The blizzard that came up was strong.

"Jack?" Jack whipped around, this time it was a young teenage version of Jamie who stood before him. The boy was crying out his name, tears streaming down his cheeks and try as Jack might to reach him he found he was only getting further and further away. He cried out as the blizzard swallowed him.

"Jamie!" He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. It was like the dreams were killing him from the inside out and he fell into the snow, trembling; he felt so weak... _Jamie... I... I'm sorry... _He closed his eyes, barely keeping himself up at that moment.

"Jack?" A pair of arms embraced him, pulling him close. Jack felt the warmth of those arms and turned slowly to see that Jamie was in front of him, just as he'd last seen him before the exam.

"Jamie..." Jack sobbed, embracing the other tightly. He didn't let go, wanting this version of Jamie to be real. He was shaking badly, barely realizing that he was recovering his strength as he buried his head against Jamie's shirt. He couldn't bare it if this version was just another illusion, another part of the dream that seemed to be sapping everything from him.

"Jack." Jamie said softly, hugging the winter spirit to him. For the longest moment the two of them simply stood there and the longer they did the calmer Jack became. After what seemed like forever, Jack drew back a little to meet Jamie's eyes. The eyes that he'd come to trust, that had been understanding and gentle when he had spoken of the past.

"Is... this real?" Jamie shrugged a little.

"Seems real enough to me."

"H-how is this possible?"

"Donno." Jamie looked around curiously. It seemed that they were in Antarctica, but Jamie didn't feel the cold that he knew a place like this should have.

"Why here of all places?" Jack glanced around a moment, seeming to only now realize where they were.

"Well it's your dream... I think." Jamie replied thoughtfully.

"Wait... you heard me?" Jack asked after a moment, realizing that Jamie really **was** there.

"Of course I did! I told you I'd be here for you didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." Jack smiled. Jamie hugged Jack close.

"Wait... exactly how did you get here?" Jack asked after a moment, not that he cared too much but he did wonder.

"I'm not entirely sure. I just remember telling Sandy that we needed to help you. I think he put me to sleep and ... well, you needed help so here I am. I'm pretty sure Sandy and the others will be there when we wake up." Jack nodded a little. Only vaguely registering the fact that he felt himself again, now that Jamie was here. How this was, he didn't know, but he didn't care too much about the details of it either.

10 - 2

"Jack, do you know what is wrong with you?" Jamie asked after a moment. Jack was about to respond as he usually did but then thought better of it and shook his head as the two of them settled against an icy wall; waiting to return to the waking world.

"I didn't think anything was. I mean, I've been tired before from over stretching myself. It wasn't until I began to feel like I had the crap beat out of me that I realized something was wrong. By then..." He trailed off. Jamie nodded thoughtfully.

"The others are going to help you, I found North's globe in your pocket." Jack lay his head against Jamie's shoulder, thinking about what had happened.

"So they know then? What's wrong with me I mean."

"Yeah, they do. At least Sandy seemed to, but I didn't have a chance to ask what it was."

"Thanks." Jack said quietly as the two sat there in silent companionship.

"For what?"

"Everything. For being my first believer, for being my friend and not giving up on me. Understanding everything... even when I thought I wasn't worth it, that I didn't deserve to be protected or cared for." Jamie hugged Jack closer, this wasn't like him, but he also knew that Jack rarely spoke so seriously so he didn't say so. Jack closed his eyes, a gentle snowfall beginning to surround them as Jack relaxed against him; Jamie smiled, Jack seemed so peaceful for once and like his old self as the smile he had come to know and love played across the winter spirit's face. Jamie closed his eyes and rested his head against Jack's gently.

"You're not cold, are you?" Jack asked softly, breaking the silence.

"No." Jamie murmured in reply. When the two opened their eyes again they were staring at four pairs of relieved eyes. Jamie slowly blinked.

"Oh, hey... what's going on?"

"You've been asleep a full day. We were worried." Tooth said. Jamie smiled, noting that he was in a second bed next to Jack. Jack slowly sat up.

"How you feeling Jack?" North asked. There seemed to be a pause and Jamie turned to Jack, something of relief going through him when he realized that the winter spirit looked fine now. The weariness that had been persistent around Jack had seemed to vanish like it had never been.

"Pretty good actually."

"That's good to hear." North replied with a smile.

"Gave us all a right scare mate. Good to see ya still with us." Bunny said, smiling at Jack who ducked his head a little in embarrassment.

"Jamie, a word in private?" Jamie nodded and slipped from the bed to follow North from the room, leaving Jack to be fussed over by the other Guardians.

"Jamie, is worrying that you feel this for Jack and he for you." Jamie blinked, shocked.

"You think I not be knowing? Is obvious. Still, I be thinking, have you thought about this? Your relationship with Jack?" Jamie gave North a small, sad smile.

"Is two years long enough for thinking? I know that I will someday grow old and die, that I can't always be around to protect Jack... but I am able to now. Even if I don't know how I did whatever it is that I did. I was confused, at first, but I realized that no matter what I told myself, my thoughts always drifted to one." _This boy has been through much... and he has a light in him that has not gone out since that year he faced Pitch. No denying that he cares deeply for Jack... for a human he has already shown the fierceness and trueness of a Guardian... To be able to have sensed Jack as he had... that's something only spirits who are close to one another can do, Guardians especially. _North thought as he looked at the spirited boy who stood before him, ready to fight for what he believed in. A smile played on the Guardian's face then.

"You can and you will." Jamie brightened instantly, nodding.

"I was wondering though... what exactly was wrong with Jack and is he really better now?" North considered the question a moment before answering.

"Jack will be fine. Was old ailment, Guardians not meant to love mortals; we found out hard way that loving mortal would drain us, none know why. Only Manny may know reason. One he did not share with us. We fixed long time ago with spell, but problem and solution was lost with battle in Dark Ages with Pitch."

"So then.. how did Jack get better?"

"Is good question. Question for Manny." Jamie sighed a little as he realized that North didn't have an answer for him; he wondered if Sandy knew the answer though as the little Guardian had put him to sleep the moment he'd said Jack needed help. He'd seemed to know what to do. The two rejoined the group in the infirmary in time to hear.

"Don't make me hold you down frostbite." It was Bunny, apparently Jack was trying to get out of bed. Jamie shook his head, obviously Jack wasn't the type to want to stay in bed for long.

"I'm _fine_ rabbit."

"I think I'll take it from here Bunny." Jamie said, striding towards it and Jack gave him an uneasy smile, it was obvious the frost spirit was expecting him to yell at him or something. Bunny stepped back, as did Sandy and Tooth when they saw the determination in Jamie's movements as well. They weren't about to get in the middle of this, Jack was on his own. Jack glanced around, nervously, obviously looking for help but the others just shook their heads with a knowing smile. _Ah crap._ Jack thought.

"Mind if I borrow this blanket?" Jamie asked North, who shook his head. His eyes sparkling with laughter that he was clearly holding back as he and the others watched; all of them looking like they were about to break out laughing at any moment.

"Thanks, also, can you send us to my house please?" Seconds later a portal was open and no one, least of all Jack, made a sound of protest when Jamie scooped up the winter spirit, blanket and all, and strode through the portal which closed behind him. Only once the portal had closed did the Guardians fall over themselves with laughter. Being a defiant spirit, it was a great joke seeing Jack look so nervous and subdued for once, and in the face of a mortal boy nonetheless. When he had finally gotten his laughter under control, North made his way towards the globe room; he wanted to talk to Manny about some things, he was certain only the moon would have the answers that he was seeking. None of the other Guardians seemed to note his departure as they were still rolling on the floor laughing, Jack wasn't going to live this one down for a good long while... Bunny was going to make absolute sure of that when he saw Jack next.

"Really, I'm fine Jamie." Jack protested as he was tucked into Jamie's bed.

"Can't hurt to make sure." Jamie responded without hesitation; he wasn't about to let Jack over do it or do anything much really until he was sure Jack was fully recovered, so that meant getting him to stay put for about twenty four hours.

"So... um, how did the exam go?"

"Well, I didn't finish it yet. The teacher is going to allow me to retake it since I made a quick trip to the hospital while you were still out. North insisted on it."

"So, how did that go?" Jack asked curiously.

"I'm physically fine, Jack. I don't know exactly what happened in that dream of yours or how I got there, but I've not been affected by it."

"Not physically, Jamie, but what about...?" Jamie shook his head.

"I've had nightmares worse than that when I was a kid, I'm fine Jack. You just rest up. I've got some work I need to do."

"Okay." Jack snuggled into the blankets with a smile, he had to admit that while he didn't like being confined to a bed he really didn't mind too much that Jamie was taking care of him. Something he hadn't known since he'd been human, it was a very nice feeling. He drifted off, watching Jamie work on his computer. When he awoke again, Jamie was stretching as he got up from his chair. Jack sat up, pushing the covers away.

"Finally done." Jamie said with a sigh and moved over to lay on the bed next to Jack.

"Tired?" Jack asked.

"A little." He sighed pleasantly when Jack laid a hand on his forehead.

"Ahhh, the cold feels good." He closed his eyes, Jack shifted so that he was straddling the boy and pressed his lips against Jamie's the boy's eyes shot open in shock for a moment before he returned the gentle kiss, his eyes drifting closed once more as he enjoyed the cool sensation that was Jack. He felt himself relax into the cool kisses, jolting as the cool touch of Jack's hand had slipped beneath his shirt, sliding along his stomach. He flushed and pushed Jack away.

"W-wait, Jack stop!" Jack sat back, confusion on his face. Jamie's flush deepened as he stuttered a little, his voice quiet. His eyes closed as he wasn't sure he could meet Jack's eyes as he stuttered through his confession.

"Don't... Don't you know that w-when you touch me like that... it t-turns me on?" Jack tilted his head to one side, still obviously not getting the point that Jamie was trying to make as the teen propped himself up on his elbows. Opening his eyes to meet Jack's gaze, he almost sighed as he realized that Jack had missed the point.

"If you keep this up... I'm not sure I could stop myself from ravaging you."

"Then don't." Jack said simply.

"Weren't you the one who said you don't-" Jack shifted to close the distance and nipped his nose.

"Ow." He drew back as Jamie rubbed his nose with one hand, blinking in confusion at Jack.

"Jamie, I have nothing to fear with you now. I want you as much as you want me. So... if you still want me, then you can have all of me." Jamie stared into Jack's eyes for a moment, he was telling the truth and there was a gentleness in those eyes that made Jamie wonder how he'd missed it before. A smile tugged at his lips a moment before he flipped them both over, pinning Jack beneath him before claiming the cold mouth he loved so much.


	11. Chapter 11

I don't normally do these... because I feel it interrupts the flow of the story - which is why this is at the very end -, but I feel that I need to address a few things.

1\. I don't wait 2 weeks to post the next chapter if I already have written it and gone over it a few times. The reason for this is because I value not making my readers wait too long for the next part if it is already - in my mind - ready.

2\. If you feel there are some mistakes I have made, feel free to be specific about them, but please also realize that because of the above &amp; because I am human - that I do tend to miss some things. Also, please take into consideration that some of my "mistakes" might be deliberate as well. Not just in dialogue, but outside of it as well to help the reader better understand what is meant. I realize this might often mean breaking basic grammar &amp; punctuation rules (the lather more so than the former).

3\. Although I value reviews that help point out mistakes, I'm more interested in what readers think of my story. After all, it is the quality of the story (and not my spelling/grammar/etc) that is the whole reason I write in the first place. If you feel I have portrayed a character wrongly, then I am more likely to correct said mistake (or explain why I had them be that way) than I am if you mention I misspelled a word. To me, as long as the message is clear then it doesn't matter so much how I get it across... even if it breaks a few rules.

For those of you who are wondering... yes, there IS a part 3 to chapter 10 but due to ff ratings I made a decision to drop it due to its content and the fact that including any part of it would have changed the rating of this story. Anyone who is really interested in what is in that chapter can message me about it and I will send it. Be warned though, it is not a chapter for those who are sensitive or under the age of 16.


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